Abdominoplasty surgery is typically performed in the cosmetic setting to improve body contour. However, a few small studies have been published which indicate that abdominoplasty surgery could also have therapeutic effects on certain individuals with urinary incontinence. This study aimed to determine if the results of these previous studies could be confirmed on a larger scale, and if trends could be identified that characterized the types of patients that would see an improvement in their urinary incontinence after surgery.
Methods/Technique:
Medical charts were reviewed to determine the cohort of patients who received an abdominoplasty. Once identified, these patients were contacted to participate in a survey. This survey determined which patients had urinary incontinence prior to their surgery, and whether any changes in their symptoms occurred after their recovery. Those patients who were identified as having a change in their urinary incontinence symptoms were further evaluated to determine if any trends could be identified within each subset of patients.
Results/Complications:
Out of 250 patients who underwent abdominoplasty, 100 participated in the study by completing the survey with 50 reporting preoperative incontinence. After abdominoplasty, 60.0% (n=30) noted improvement in symptoms, and 40.0% (n=20) reported no improvement in symptoms. Analysis of several patient factors revealed that patients with a history of cesarean section were less likely to have an improvement in incontinence symptoms after abdominoplasty.
Conclusion:
For patients who experience urinary incontinence, abdominoplasty surgery may be able to alleviate some symptoms while improving body contour. Although not all patients will see complete resolution of bladder leakage, any improvement should be considered an additional benefit to this traditionally cosmetic procedure.