Abdominoplasty Combined with Cesarean Delivery: Evaluation of the Practice

Abdominoplasty is an aesthetic surgical procedure that restores abdominal contouring. Repeated pregnancy usually leads to lower abdominal skin redundancy and excess fat accumulation. Delivery via Cesarean section adds weakness to the lower abdominal wall muscles and yields a lower transverse Cesarean scar. Recently and in some cultures, abdominoplasty is requested at the same time of Cesarean delivery. Those women usually want to get the benefit of undergoing the abdominoplasty combined with Cesarean delivery in the same setting, thus avoiding a future surgery. This study was designed to evaluate the aesthetic outcome of combined abdominoplasty with Cesarean delivery. The study included 50 pregnant women from February 2008 to December 2009 with an average follow up period of 6 months. Nine patients (18%) developed wound infection; three of them (9%) developed wound dehiscence. Six patients (12%) developed lower abdominal skin necrosis; three of them (6%) were treated conservatively and healed by secondary intention, while surgical debridement and secondary sutures were needed in the other three patients (6%). Residual abdominal skin redundancy in 9 patients (18%), outward bulging of the abdomen and lack of waist definition in 16 patients (32%), and outward bulging of the umbilicus in 12 patients (24%) were the reported unaesthetic results. The results were compared with results of 80 abdominoplasties in nonpregnant women. The study concluded that abdominoplasty combined with Cesarean delivery carries a higher incidence of complications and does not give the desired aesthetic outcome. The authors do not recommend this practice.