Importance of superficial circumflex iliac artery preservation to prevent abdominal wall necrosis in patients who underwent mini-abdominoplasty: an surgical-anatomic descriptive and prospective study

INTRODUCTION: Abdominoplasty is the third most performed procedure in plastic surgery. To avoid surgical complications, a study of the superficial circumflex iliac artery of the abdomen (SCIA) was carried out to investigate the importance of this artery preservation in abdominoplasties as one of the high importance factors to prevent necrosis. METHODS: This prospective study was carried out at the Plastic Surgery Service of the Agamenon Magalhaes Hospital. We included 33 patients who underwent abdominoplasty using Pitanguy's technique where the resected surgical flaps underwent hemodynamic studies to analyze the anatomical area irrigated by SCIA. RESULTS: A total of 82 patients underwent surgery, of them 33 met the study inclusion criteria, and 6 (18.9%) were excluded for technical reasons. Patients' age ranged from 23 and 49 years (36.6±7.5), their body mass index (BMI) ranged from 22.0 to 30.5 (24.9 ± 2.1), and weight of resected surgical specimens ranged from 450 to 1010 grams (623.1 ± 141.5). Pearson's test between BMI and weight of surgical specimens showed significant correlation r = 0.91 and r2 = 0,83. We included in the study 32 women (97%) and 1 man (3%). One patient had hypertension (3%). Of the sample, 27 patients were pardo (81.8%), 2 white (6.1%), 3 black (9.1%) and 1 native south American (3.0%). In hemodynamic studies, images and videos obtained showed that injection of iodinated contrast in SCIA were considered adequate, and consistent with the objective of this study in 25 (92%) patients and inadequate for 2 (8%) patients. CONCLUSION: Hemodynamic results of our study indicated that preservation of SCIA of the abdomen in mini-abdominoplasties is important to prevent necrosis of abdominal wall.