On the safety of outpatient plastic surgery procedures

A study that includes data from more than 26,000 cases performed in over 20 years and supports the high safety of plastic surgery procedures performed on an outpatient basis. They were performed by qualified plastic surgeons in a specifically equipped outpatient surgical center. This study was published in the April issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery®, one of the most prestigious specialist journals and which is also the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). Patients monitored were of all ages and clinical conditions. Findings show that “For the majority of patients, the overall risk when performing outpatient plastic surgeries is very low,” write Rod J. Rohrich, MD, and his colleagues at the Dallas Plastic Surgery Institute. “The right precautions must always be taken to optimize the safety of all patients, young or old, in order to minimize possible problems”. The study focused on complications in the first 48 hours after surgery: they occurred in less than one percent of patients (0.98) and were mild and easily resolved. Over 80% of these complications involved the formation of blood collections (hematomas) that may have needed further treatment. Patients undergoing combined procedures were found to have a higher incidence of complications. Other risk factors concern very obese patients, with a higher body mass index, or those people who had wanted to remove larger volumes of fat with consequent longer surgical times.