Body contouring in the male weight loss population: Assessing gender as a factor in outcomes

Background: Growing numbers of men are presenting for consultation and potential postbariatric body contouring surgery. Due to concerns about whether men might have increased rates of complications or dissatisfaction with aesthetic surgery, the authors assessed their clinical experience with male patients. Methods: The authors examined male patients in their prospective database who had undergone body-contouring surgery. Chi-square analysis, regression analysis, and a binary logistic regression model were used to study categorical variables, surgical outcomes, continuous variables, and significant factors. Odds ratios were calculated. Results: Of 481 patients, 48 (10 percent) were male. There were no significant differences in baseline comorbidities between the genders, except that women had a higher incidence of anxiety/depression. Men had a greater weight loss before body-contouring surgery, but this did not correlate with greater operative time or estimated blood loss. Male gender, however, was associated with a 14.6 percent incidence of postoperative hematoma and a 25 percent incidence of seroma, in contrast to female gender, with 3.5 and 13 percent, respectively. Logistic regression showed that male gender was associated with an increased incidence of hematoma, seroma, and postoperative complications. It was an independent risk factor for hematoma and seroma formation, with odds ratios of 3.76 and 2.65, respectively. Gender was not an independent predictor of wound dehiscence, flap loss, transfusion, or surgical-site infection. Conclusions: Men who are considering body-contouring surgery should be advised that they are at an increased risk of postoperative hematoma and seroma formation. The causal relationship between gender and postoperative complications is an area for further study. Clinical Question/Level of Evidence: Risk, II.