Ambulatory Abdominoplasty: Body Mass Index Used to Select Surgery Candidates

Abstract

Introduction:

Body mass index (BMI) has been used in many applications. In the adult population, it is gender independent and therefore applicable to both men and women. This study presents the results of our evaluation of 22 cases of outpatient abdominoplasty where BMI was used to delineate which abdominoplasty candidates could safely undergo abdominoplasty on an outpatient basis by the tumescent technique.

Methods and Materials:

The charts for 22 patients who underwent ambulatory abdominoplasty were reviewed. In each patient, the preoperative evaluation, intraoperative surgical technique, and postoperative care were examined. Each of the patients had a BMI between 22 and 34. All the patients had an American Society of Anesthesiologist (ASA) I or II classification based on having no health concerns or I health matter that was well controlled.

Results:

All 22 patients spent between 40 and 75 minutes recovering and were discharged into the care of a responsible adult upon meeting discharge criteria the same day the surgery was performed. No surgical- or sedation-related complications were reported after several months of clinical observation. We found that abdominoplasty performed under intravenous sedation with a tumescent anesthetic could be safe and effective if performed on properly selected patients.

Conclusion:

BMI and risk assessment by Anesthesia can be a reliable method to help determine the proper candidates for outpatient office-based surgery. Using strict criteria, we can avoid many of the complications seen with the combination of abdominoplasty and liposuction and perform these operations safely.