ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Combined abdominoplasty and lipoplasty is fequently performed to achieve improved body contour in a single surgical session. OBJECTIVE: We describe a procedure that combines vertical and transverse plication of the abdominal fascia with lipoplasty of the anterior abdominal wall. METHODS: Lipoplasty of the anterior abdominal wall was performed using a superwet technique. The amount of extracted fat ranged from 200 to 6000 mL. Abdominoplasty was performed using traditional methods. Plication of the abdominal fascia combined the traditional longitudinal method with a half-moon plication, located in the lower abdomen. RESULTS: Seventy-six women ranging in age from 20 to 62 years underwent combined abdominoplasty and lipoplasty between January 2002 and January 2003. Patient satisfaction was rated as excellent in 74 cases. Patient satisfaction was rated as good in the other 2 cases, in which the only patient complaint was hypertrophy of the scar, which improved over time with the use of massage. Seromas developed in 8 patients (10.52%) and were treated successfully by syringe extraction. CONCLUSIONS: Benefits of combining abdominoplasty with lipoplasty include reduction of abdominal flap volume, improvement in the final quality of the scar, and improved tissue contraction. The anchor plication reduces strain in the abdominal fascia and also diminishes the vertical abdominal diameter, facilitating the descent of the flap.
