Evaluation of indicated non-cosmetic panniculectomy at time of gynecologic surgery.

OBJECTIVE: To report postoperative outcomes among patients undergoing indicated non-cosmetic panniculectomy at the time of gynecologic surgery.

METHODS: Medical charts were retrospectively reviewed for patients who underwent panniculectomy coupled with gynecologic surgery at a university-affiliated hospital in the USA in 1990-2014. The data reviewed included age, body mass index (BMI, calculated as weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters), surgical procedure, estimated blood loss, pathology, wound complication, diabetes, hypertension, smoking, and readmission rate. One-way analysis of variance and logistic regression were used to evaluate the data.

RESULTS: In total, 300 patients underwent panniculectomy; the mean age was 51 years and the mean BMI was 46. Overall, there were 94 (31.3%) complications, including 85 (28.3%) cases of superficial cellulitis and 9 (3.0%) cases of surgical-site infection. In logistic regression, diabetes, hypertension, and smoking were significant predictors of wound complications, identifying 78% of women who subsequently developed wound complications.

CONCLUSION: Panniculectomy combined with gynecologic surgery was found to be safe and effective for obese patients, with an acceptable incidence of wound infection. History of diabetes, hypertension, and smoking increased the risk of postoperative wound complications. These factors will help to predict patients at risk of wound complication.