Impact of Body Mass Index on Outcomes of Patients Undergoing Liposculpture in Private Practice

Background: The popularity of liposculpture has increased due to the high patient satisfaction rate and low number of complications. However, in Latin America, serious complications have been reported due to various factors. Therefore, our objective was to determine the association of a BMI of 30 kg/m2 or more with the development of postoperative complications in patients undergoing liposculpture. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed in patients undergoing liposculpture at the Clinica Nova Quirurgica in Arequipa between 2020 and 2021. Results: A total of 231 patients were identified. The median age was 35 years, the majority of patients were women (97.4%), and 25.6% of patients had a BMI of 30 kg/m2 or more. Postoperative complications developed in 13.4%, the majority being seromas (10.8%), followed by superficial site infections (2.6%), hematomas (1.7%), asymmetry (1.7%), and deep vein thrombosis (0.4%). No other complications were identified. In the multivariable analysis, risk factors for the development of complications were a BMI of 30 kg/m2 or more [relative risk (RR) = 3.63; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.27-10.32; P = 0.016], longer operative time (RR = 1.01; 95% CI, 1.00-1.02; P = 0.001), and greater volume of fat removed (RR = 1.01; 95% CI, 1.01-1.01; P = 0.002). Conclusions: Patients with a BMI of 30 kg/m2 or more undergoing liposculpture have a ∼3.5-fold higher risk of developing postsurgical complications compared with patients without obesity. Other risk factors were longer operative time and greater volume of fat removed. Adequate patient selection is crucial to obtain optimal results.