What Happens to Weight Following Abdominoplasty: An Analysis of 188 Consecutive Cases.

Abstract

Background: Abdominoplasty may be considered a procedure performed after a patient has already lost weight, but many surgeons have clinically observed that patients continue to lose weight in the postoperative period. This study sought to quantify continued weight loss after abdominoplasty procedures.

Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted on all abdominoplasty cases performed by the senior author between 2018 and 2022. Patient demographics, surgical information, and postoperative weights were all obtained. Independent samples t-tests were used for comparisons between groups.

Results: One-hundred eighty-eight patients were included with an average age of 42.5 years and follow-up of 26.5 months. Average preoperative weight and BMI were 167.8 lbs and 27.7, respectively. Average weight loss and percentage of body weight following surgery was -5.77 lbs (-3.15%) at 3 months, -5.28 lbs (-2.77%) at 6 months, -4.02 lbs (-2.17%) at 12 months, -4.18 lbs (-2.23%) at 2 years, -4.16 lbs (-2.20%) at 3 years, and -9.8 lbs (-5.29%) at 5 years. No patient who lost weight required revision surgery for additional skin removal.

Conclusion: Patients undergoing abdominoplasty experienced maintenance of surgical weight reduction and continued weight loss up to 5 years postoperatively. Those with higher BMIs had significantly greater weight loss that increased at later time intervals.