Evidence map›Paper›PMID 26505716›Full record

ArticlePlastic and reconstructive surgery2015

Abdominoplasty: Risk Factors, Complication Rates, and Safety of Combined Procedures.

Julian Winocour, Varun Gupta, J Roberto Ramirez, R Bruce Shack, James C Grotting, K Kye Higdon

Abstract readComparative Study
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Plastic and reconstructive surgery, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 105 papers, 6 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
105citing papers in PubMed, 6 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

105 citing papers in PubMed, 6 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Pooled it
  5. Pooled it
  6. Pooled it
  7. Trial
  8. Trial
  9. Trial
  10. Article
  11. Article
  12. Article
  13. Article
  14. Article
  15. Article
  16. Abdominoplasty Through Six Decades: A Bibliometric Analysis.Indian journal of plastic surgery : official publication of the Association of Plastic Surgeons of India · 2026
    Review
  17. Observational
  18. Article
  19. Review
  20. Article

45 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Julian WinocourNashville, Tenn.; and Birmingham, Ala. From the Department of Plastic Surgery, Vanderbilt University; and the Department of Plastic Surgery, University of Alabama.
Varun Gupta
J Roberto Ramirez
R Bruce Shack
James C Grotting
K Kye Higdon

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAmong aesthetic surgery procedures, abdominoplasty is associated with a higher complication rate, but previous studies are limited by small sample sizes or single-institution experience.

methodsA cohort of patients who underwent abdominoplasty between 2008 and 2013 was identified from the CosmetAssure database. Major complications were recorded. Univariate and multivariate analysis was performed evaluating risk factors, including age, smoking, body mass index, sex, diabetes, type of surgical facility, and combined procedures.

resultsThe authors identified 25,478 abdominoplasties from 183,914 procedures in the database. Of these, 8,975 patients had abdominoplasty alone and 16,503 underwent additional procedures. The number of complications recorded was 1,012 (4.0 percent overall rate versus 1.4 percent in other aesthetic surgery procedures). Of these, 31.5 percent were hematomas, 27.2 percent were infections and 20.2 percent were suspected or confirmed venous thromboembolism. On multivariate analysis, significant risk factors (p < 0.05) included male sex (relative risk, 1.8), age 55 years or older (1.4), body mass index greater than or equal to 30 (1.3), multiple procedures (1.5), and procedure performance in a hospital or surgical center versus office-based surgical suite (1.6). Combined procedures increased the risk of complication (abdominoplasty alone, 3.1 percent; with liposuction, 3.8 percent; breast procedure, 4.3 percent; liposuction and breast procedure, 4.6 percent; body-contouring procedure, 6.8 percent; liposuction and body-contouring procedure, 10.4 percent).

conclusionsAbdominoplasty is associated with a higher complication rate compared with other aesthetic procedures. Combined procedures can significantly increase complication rates and should be considered carefully in higher risk patients. CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Risk, II.

Indexed as

AbdominoplastyAdultAge FactorsAnalysis of VarianceBody Mass IndexChi-Square DistributionCohort StudiesCombined Modality TherapyDatabases, FactualEstheticsFemaleFollow-Up StudiesHematomaHumansIncidenceLipectomy

Identifiers

PMID26505716

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.