Progressive Tension Sutures in Fleur de Lis Abdominoplasty: A Case Report

Introduction: As the field of cosmetic and plastic surgery progresses patient safety and comfort remain paramount. Over the past 30 years, multiple studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of progressive tension sutures (PTS) in drainless abdominoplasties and case series have been published evaluating the outcomes of PTS/drainless abdominoplasties in high-volume liposuction cases (liposuction with over 3 L of aspirate). To date, there have been no reports in the literature regarding PTS usage in Fleur de Lis (FDL)-type abdominoplasties. Materials/Methods: We describe our experience using PTS in a patient with a drainless FDL abdominoplasty and several patients in which PTS was used to limit the number of drains needed in an FDL abdominoplasty. Results: In our follow-up with the patient, she had no adverse events or seroma formation. Discussion/conclusion: The cases documented here suggest that FDL abdominoplasty can be performed without the need for drains or with minimal drains.