Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy in patients with abdominoplasty: a case-control study

Background Abdominoplasty is increasingly performed after weight loss surgery. However, performing a laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) after abdominoplasty poses technical challenges. Objective The present study aimed to compare operative events and postoperative outcomes between LSG patients with and without a history of prior abdominoplasty. Setting University hospital, Qatar. Methods A case-control study was conducted on 2 groups of patients with (n = 33) and without (n = 69) prior abdominoplasty who underwent LSG. Patient demographics, baseline characteristics, as well as operative and postoperative events were compared between the 2 groups. Results A total of 102 patients with an average age of 39.6±7.7 years and body mass index (BMI) of 42.8±5.9 kg/m² were included. There were no significant differences between the 2 groups in terms of demographic characteristics, preoperative BMI, and co-morbidities. The number of ports required was significantly higher in the LSG patients with a history of prior abdominoplasty than in the nonabdominoplasty patients. The operation time was also significantly longer in the abdominoplasty patients than in the nonabdominoplasty patients (90.3±36.7 minutes versus 57.1±17.7 minutes; P<.0001). However, no significant differences were observed in terms of postoperative complications, length of hospital stay, and weight loss results. Conclusion LSG after abdominoplasty is associated with longer operative times and the need for additional port placement to overcome the decreased working space. However, operative strategies should be considered to overcome the technical challenges during LSG in patients who underwent a prior abdominoplasty.