Aesthetic evaluation of lipoabdominoplasty in overweight patients.

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the aesthetic results of lipoabdominoplasty in overweight patients (body mass index, 25 to 29.9) compared with normal weight patients (body mass index, 18.5 to 24.9).

Methods: The authors performed a retrospective and comparative analysis of late follow-up results after lipoabdominoplasty performed from 2000 to 2009 in two groups of 30 patients, one with a body mass index of 25 to 29.9 and one with a body mass index of 18 to 24.9. Aesthetic results were evaluated using a scale with five objective parameters, developed in the Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo. There were seven evaluators: three plastic surgeons, three nondoctors, and the surgeon performing the procedure.

Results: For all evaluators, the postoperative average grade was significantly higher than before surgery for the entire group of patients (n=60) and in each subgroup. The average grades for the normal weight group were consistently significantly higher than for the overweight group, both preoperatively and postoperatively, for all evaluators. However, the mean difference between the preoperative and postoperative grades, which measures the aesthetic improvement provided by the operation, was higher in the overweight group. Postoperatively, the average grade of the surgeon was significantly higher than for all other evaluator groups.

Conclusions: The normal weight group showed superior grades, both before and after lipoabdominoplasty, for all evaluators. However, the gain between preoperative and postoperative grades was higher in the overweight patient group, indicating that lipoabdominoplasty was beneficial even in these cases.

Clinical Question/level Of Evidence: Therapeutic, III.