Outcomes of Abdominal Contouring in Patients with and without Weight Loss Surgery: A Propensity-Matched Comparison Study

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This single-center retrospective study compared abdominal contouring outcomes in 208 patients—104 with and 104 without prior weight-loss surgery (WLS)—matched by age and sex. Researchers assessed complications and quality of life using BODY-Q questionnaires.<br /><br />Patients with prior WLS had higher average BMI and larger amounts of tissue removed. They were more likely to undergo panniculectomy, while patients without WLS more often had abdominoplasty, liposuction, and abdominal muscle plication. WLS patients had more surgical-site occurrences overall and more delayed wound healing (34.6% versus 16.5%). However, rates of infection, hematoma, cellulitis, readmission, reoperation, and cosmetic problems did not differ significantly between groups. Regression analysis did not identify independent predictors of delayed healing.<br /><br />Both groups reported improvements after surgery in body and abdominal satisfaction, psychological function, and overall appraisal. Patients with prior WLS also showed significant gains in body image, physical function, and sexual function.<br /><br />The findings suggest that abdominal contouring can provide meaningful quality-of-life benefits regardless of WLS history, although patients with prior WLS may face a higher risk of minor wound-healing complications. The authors recommend discussing these risks before surgery. Limitations include the retrospective design, modest sample size, and differences in procedure types and patient characteristics between groups.

Keywords

abdominal contouring

weight-loss surgery

BODY-Q

panniculectomy

abdominoplasty

liposuction

wound healing

surgical complications

quality of life

retrospective study