With a prevalence of up to 25%, seroma formation is among the most common complications of body contouring procedures such as abdominoplasty. Small amounts of fluid are reabsorbed by the body spontaneously, however, larger seroma volumes need to be evacuated via puncture aspiration to prevent wound healing disturbances and infection, leading to major patient discomfort and a prolonged hospital stay. There is increasing controversy regarding the efficacy of surgical drains in seroma prevention. This study compares the incidence rate of seroma in three study arms with different usage of drains.

Brief Title

Seroma Prevention After Body Contouring Procedures

Official Title

Prevention of Seroma Formation After Body Contouring Procedures

Brief Summary

With a prevalence of up to 25%, seroma formation is among the most common complications of<br /> body contouring procedures such as abdominoplasty. Small amounts of fluid are reabsorbed by<br /> the body spontaneously, however, larger seroma volumes need to be evacuated via puncture<br /> aspiration to prevent wound healing disturbances and infection, leading to major patient<br /> discomfort and a prolonged hospital stay. There is increasing controversy regarding the<br /> efficacy of surgical drains in seroma prevention. This study compares the incidence rate of<br /> seroma in three study arms with different usage of drains.

Outcome Measures

Outcome measures are the tests that investigators perform to prove whether or not a treatment being tested in a clinical trial is having any effect.