Extensive Flap Dissection Abdominoplasty Combined With High-definition Liposuction for Postpregnancy Abdomen: A 10-year Study
Xiaowei Guo, Wenfei Wang, Aoshuang Qin, Junzheng Wu, Bin LiuBackground:
Due to concerns about complications, such as flap necrosis, surgeons are increasingly inclined to use more conservative flap undermining during lipoabdominoplasty. However, this limits the extent of flap removal and the degree of rectus abdominis folding. This study aims to strike a balance between safety and surgical outcomes. It evaluates the safety and aesthetic effects of combining extensive flap dissection abdominoplasty with high-definition liposuction, introduces standardized steps to enhance abdominal definition, and ensures safe execution.
Methods:
We performed a retrospective analysis of postpregnancy patients who underwent extensive flap dissection abdominoplasty between January 2015 and April 2024. Patients were divided into 2 groups based on whether they underwent high-definition liposuction. Postoperative complications, aesthetic outcomes, and patient satisfaction were analyzed in both groups.
Results:
The mean postoperative follow-up period in this study group was 8.6 months. The extensive flap dissection abdominoplasty combined with high-definition liposuction group exhibited significantly reduced abdominal circumferences compared with the abdominoplasty group (
Conclusions:
The extensive flap dissection abdominoplasty combined with high-definition liposuction demonstrates aesthetic benefits and improvements without compromising the safety of traditional fat-removal abdominoplasty. More natural anatomical abdominal contours have led to high satisfaction among postpartum Asian female patients. Our study demonstrates that combining abdominoplasty with liposuction can achieve a balance between surgical outcomes and safety.