ABSTRACT
Introduction:
Abdominoplasty is one of the most common cosmetic surgeries in Brazil. The complications of this procedure are diverse, with seroma being one of the most frequent. The objective of this study was to identify the risk factors for the formation of seroma, such as increased body mass index, comorbidities, age, habits, and time of drain permanence.
Methods:
This was a retrospective study in which the medical records of 94 patients who underwent abdominoplasty at the Plastic Surgery and Burns Service of Santa Casa de Misericórdia de São José do Rio Preto-SP between November 2010 and November 2013 were reviewed. The risk factors for the formation of seroma were analyzed using Fisher’s exact test and the Chi-square test, with the significance level set at p < 0.05.
Results:
Seroma was identified in 16 (17.02%) of the total patients (n = 94). No statistical significance was observed between increased incidence of seroma and increased BMI and other risk factors analyzed. Nevertheless, the time of drain permanence showed a clinical relevance. The patients who were maintained on the drain for > 1 day had a lower incidence of seroma.
Conclusion:
The causes of seroma should be considered multifactorial. The risk factors analyzed were not significantly related to the increased incidence of seroma. However, drain permanence for >1 day was effective in the prevention of seroma.
Keywords:
Abdominoplasty; Seroma; Postoperative complications; Body mass index; Risk factors