Increasing abdominal wall thickness predicts complications in abdominally based breast reconstruction: A review of 106 consecutive patients

• Published in: Journal of plastic, reconstructive & aesthetic surgery reconstructive & aesthetic surgery, 2020-07, Vol.73 (7), p.1277-1284
• Main Authors: Boehm, Lucas M., Hettinger, Patrick, LoGiudice, John, Doren, Erin L.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Abdominal wall thickness as risk factor; BMI as predictor of postoperative flap morbidity; Breast reconstruction; CT scan; Obesity as risk factor; Pre-surgical risk assessment
• ISSN: 1748-6815; 1878-0539
• DOI: 10.1016/j.bjps.2019.11.012

Body mass index (BMI) has long been the proxy for patient selection in obese patients presenting for abdominally based breast reconstruction. BMI, however, fails to accurately reflect the distribution of abdominal adipose tissue. This study aims to quantify the effect of abdominal wall thickness on the incidence of post-operative complications and contrast abdominal wall thickness and BMI as predictors of post-operative morbidity. We performed a retrospective review of 106 consecutive patients who underwent abdominally based breast reconstruction. Abdominal wall thickness was quantified using preoperative CT angiograms. Primary outcomes included delayed wound healing (abdomen and/or breast), flap fat necrosis, return to OR in 30 days, infection, and flap loss. Patients experiencing delayed abdominal wound healing (n=38), delayed breast wound healing (n=27), and flap fat necrosis (n=24) had significantly thicker abdominal wall measurements (p