Evaluation of Drain-Free Abdominoplasty After Application of Tissue Adhesive and Progressive Tension Sutures

Background: As the demand for abdominoplasty has increased, many efforts have been made to provide improved techniques to reduce postoperative complications related to seroma formation. Progressive tension sutures (PTS) and cyanoacrylate tissue adhesives are mentioned as techniques that are applied in a drain-free manner, enhancing comfort and outcome for the patients. The objective of this study is to check the efficacy of drain-free abdominoplasty by having either progressive tension sutures or cyanoacrylate tissue adhesives in preventing the formation of seromas and postoperative complications, with the evaluation of operative time and satisfaction of patients. Methods: This is a prospective randomized clinical trial conducted in Zagazig University Hospitals from April to September 2024 on 12 patients who were assigned randomly to progressive tension sutures (PTS) or cyanoacrylate tissue adhesive groups for abdominoplasty. They had a BMI of less than 35 kg/m² and had written an informed consent form. Results: The study population consisted of 9 females and 3 males, with a mean age of 35.1 years (SD: 7.69 years) and a mean BMI of 32.5 kg/m2 (SD: 1.88 kg/m2). The mean operative time was 151 min (SD: 9.25 min).The most frequent complication was ecchymosis (75%), and none of the patients developed seromas. Conclusion: Progressive tension sutures or cyanoacrylate tissue adhesive culminate in effective drainage-free abdominoplasty to prevent seromas, enhance patient comfort, and give the highest satisfaction grades. Thus, these methods seem to be clinically feasible alternatives to conventional drains.