Innovative Glove Drains for Seroma Prevention in Body-Contouring Surgery: Retrospective Findings.

[OBJECTIVE] The purpose of this study is to present an innovative and efficient alternative to conventional silicone drains for seroma prevention, aiming to enhance patient outcomes and satisfaction post-liposuction.

[PATIENTS AND METHOD] In this retrospective, comparative study, we evaluated a total of 300 patients, divided into two groups. All patients underwent liposculpture of the back and hips, either as a standalone procedure or as part of lipoabdominoplasty or Mommy Makeover interventions: Group I (n = 150) patients without drain placement and Group II (n = 150) patients with drain placement. We assessed seroma formation in each group over a 2-week postoperative period, along with other complications.

[RESULTS] Seroma formation represented the second most frequent complication (n = 14, 4,6 %). In the "no-drain" group the incidence was 8% (12 patients), and in the "drain" group seroma was recorded in 1.3% (2 patients), supporting a statistically significant reduction in seroma formation (p < 0.05). All cases responded to percutaneous aspiration with more punctures needed in the "no-drain" group. No systemic complications were recorded.

[CONCLUSION] The addition of liposuction during surgical body-contouring procedures does not significantly increase the rate of complications, while achieving excellent aesthetic results. The innovative drain used in our study provided results comparable to traditional tube drains but with less patient discomfort, better compliance, and enhanced postoperative healing quality.

[LEVEL OF EVIDENCE II] This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .