Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Is Plastic Surgery Combined with Obstetrical Procedures Safe?

  • Original Article
  • Special Topics
  • Published:
Aesthetic Plastic Surgery Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In the existing reports on combined procedures of abdominoplasty with Cesarean section or natural delivery, a high incidence of complications and poor aesthetic results are reported. We conducted a survey with the participation of 61 plastic surgeons who performed this procedure in 808 patients, with an average of 13.24 procedures per surgeon. In 783 procedures (96.9% of the cases), the combination was with Cesarean section and 25 procedures (3.13% of cases) were combined with vaginal delivery. The plastic surgery procedures were as follows: 242 abdominoplasty procedures (29.95%), 210 abdominoplasty plus liposuction procedures (25.99%), 18 mini abdominoplasty procedures (2.22%), 121 mini abdominoplasty and liposuction procedures (14.97%), and 217 liposuction procedures (26.85%). The following complications were reported: seroma in 255 cases (31.57%), thrombosis in 212 (26.23%), infection in 170 (21.03%), skin necrosis in 127 (15.71%), and hematoma in 42 (5.19%). There were three deaths due to thrombosis (0.4%). There were redundancy skin abdominal wall defects in 336 (41.66%) cases, unaesthetic scars in 291 (36.11%), abdominal wall defects in 134 (16.58%), unpleasant contours in 22 (2.72%), and rotational folds in 22 (2.72%). Fifty-five (90.16%) surgeons decided to stop delivering babies with these practices. The combination of abdominoplasty with Cesarean section or natural delivery has a high incidence of complications and poor aesthetic results; therefore, we make a strong recommendation to avoid this practice before the patient reaches sixth month postpartum.

Level of Evidence IV This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Saad AN, Parina R, Chang D, Gosman AA (2014) Risk of adverse outcomes when plastic surgery procedures are combined. Plast Reconst Surg 134(6):1415–1422

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Rao RB, Ely SF, Hoffman RS (1999) Deaths related to liposuction. N Engl J med 340(19):1471–1475

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Ramirez-Guerrero JA. Liposucción. Consideraciones anestésicas y perioperatorias. Rev Mexicana Anest 2007; 30(4): 233–241.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Grazer FM, Jong RH. Fatal outcomes from liposuction. Census survey of cosmetic surgeons. Plast. Reconstr Surg 2000;105: 436–446.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Katz BE, Bruck MC, Felsenfeld L (2003) Power liposuction: report on complications. Dermatol Surg 29:925–927

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Hanke CW, Bullock S, Bernstein G (1996) Current status of tumescent liposuction in the United States: national survey results. Dermatol Surg 22:595–598

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Matarasso A, Smith DM (2015) Strategies for aesthetic reshaping of the postpartum patient. Plast Reconst Surg 136(2):245–257

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Eli A, Essam A (2011) Abdominoplasty combined with cesarean delivery: evaluation of the practice. Aesth Plast Surg 35(1):80–86

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Winocour J, Gupta V, Ramírez JR, Shack RB, Grotting JC, Higdon KK (2015) Abdominoplasty: risk factor, complications rates, and safety of combined procedures. Plast Reconst Surg 136:597e–606e

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Hester TR Jr, Baird W, Bostwick J, Nahai F, Cukic J (1989) Abdominoplasty combined with other major surgical procedures: safe or sorry? PRS 83(6):997–1004

    Google Scholar 

  11. Benn TE, Spera CE (2014) Abdominoplasty combined with cesarean section: discussion of the evidence. Am J Cosmetic Surg 31(4):260–263

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Jackson Emily, Curtis Kathryn M, Gaffield Mary E (2011) Risk of venous thromboembolism during the postpartum period: a systematic review. Obstet Gynecol 117(3):691–703

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Bates SM, Greer IA, Middeldorp S et al (2012) VTE, thrombophilia, antithrombotic therapy, and pregnancy: antithrombotic therapy and prevention of thrombosis, 9th edn. American College of Chest Physicians Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guidelines. Chest 141:e691S–736S

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  14. Cabrera-Rayo A, Nellen-Hummel H. Epidemiología de la enfermedad tromboembólica venosa ; Gac Méd Méx 2007;143(Supl 1) 2007:3–5

    Google Scholar 

  15. Zaragoza-Delgadillo JC, Sauri-Arce JCA, Ochoa-Carrillo FJ, Fuentes-del-Toro F (2007) Prevención de la enfermedad tromboembólica venosa en cirugía. Gac Méd Méx 143(Supl 1):35–39

    Google Scholar 

  16. Emily J, Curtis KM, Gaffield ME (2011) Risk of venous thromboembolism during the postpartum period: a systematic review. Obst Gynecol. 117(3):691–703

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Ojeda-González JJ, Rodríguez-Álvarez M, Estepa-Pérez JL, Piña-Loyola CA, Cabeza-Poblet BL (2011) Cambios fisiológicos durante el embarazo. Su importancia para el anestesiólogo. Medisur 9(5):15–25

    Google Scholar 

  18. Park TH, Chang CH (2012) Keloid recurrence in pregnancy. Aesthetic Plast Surg 65(5):1271–1272

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Asociación Mexicana de Cirugía Plástica, Estética y Reconstructiva, Safety Committee, Flamencos N° 74 esquina con Félix Parra Col. San José Insurgentes Delegación, 03900, Benito Juárez, DF, Mexico

    Rufino Iribarren-Moreno, Jesús Cuenca-Pardo & Guillermo Ramos-Gallardo

Authors
  1. Rufino Iribarren-Moreno
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jesús Cuenca-Pardo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Guillermo Ramos-Gallardo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Guillermo Ramos-Gallardo.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that there are no conflict of interest that may influence the results.

Ethical Approval

The study was approved by the Committee of Safety of Asociacion Mexicana de Cirugía Plástica, Estética y Reconstructiva.

Informed Consent

This was a survey directed to plastic surgeons who are members of Mexican Association of Plastic Surgery. They answered without direct participation of the patients. Therefore, there was no risk to any patient, and the confidentiality of patients and surgeons was maintained.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Iribarren-Moreno, R., Cuenca-Pardo, J. & Ramos-Gallardo, G. Is Plastic Surgery Combined with Obstetrical Procedures Safe?. Aesth Plast Surg 43, 1396–1399 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00266-019-01448-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00266-019-01448-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation