Umbilical Ablation During Deep Inferior Epigastric Perforator Flap Harvest Decreases Donor Site Complications

Background
Donor site complications are a significant source of morbidity for patients undergoing abdominal-based free flap breast reconstruction, but there is a paucity of data regarding minimizing these postoperative complications. We hypothesize that selective ablation of the umbilicus at the time of deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) harvest decreases the incidence of umbilical and abdominal wall complications in high-risk patients.
Methods
A retrospective review was performed of all patients (n = 117) who underwent DIEP harvest with concomitant umbilical ablation from 2010 to 2015. This cohort was paired with 117 patients who underwent DIEP harvest without umbilical ablation. Preoperative risk factors, intraoperative factors, and postoperative complications were compared.
Results
The umbilical ablation group had significantly higher body mass index (30.9 vs 27.4 kg/m2, P

Source: Annals of Plastic Surgery - August 14, 2020 Category: Cosmetic Surgery Tags: Microsurgery Source Type: research