The Use of Mean Gray Value (MGV) as a Guide to Tension-Reducing Strategies in Body Contouring Surgery Reduces Wound-Related Morbidity.

Background: Currently there are no known structural parameters of the integument that can be measured noninvasively which are used in the planning of body contouring surgery.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to see if mean gray value (MGV), when taken into account preoperatively, can reduce wound-related morbidity.

Methods: This project was a prospective cohort study. Ultrasound imaging of the subcutaneous tissue was performed prospectively on patients undergoing body contouring surgery to quantify the superficial fascial system so that average MGV could be calculated over the proposed surgical sites. Patients with average to poor MGV (≤0.127) were identified preoperatively for tension-reducing procedures. Wound complication rates were compared with rates in a retrospective cohort which did not undergo preoperative imaging.

Results: There were 115 patients in each of the 2 cohorts. There were 3 exclusions due to loss of ultrasound images, leaving 112 patients available for analysis in the prospective cohort. The cohorts were similar except for a higher incidence of patients with diabetes in the retrospective group (1 vs 9, P = 0.026). The wound complication rate was significantly reduced in the prospective group (5/112, 4.4%) when compared with the retrospective group (20/115, 17%, P = 0.0062). The revision and infection rates were also significantly reduced in the prospective group (1/112, 0.9%; 3/112, 2.6%) when compared with the retrospective group (8/115, 7%, P = 0.019; 10/115 8.6%, P = 0.051).

Conclusions: MGV is a unique, patient- and area-specific structural parameter of the integument, and its measurement may be useful in reducing wound-related morbidity in body contouring surgery.