Use of PlasmaJet system in patients undergoing abdominal lipectomy following massive weight loss resulting from bariatric surgery: early experience.

[BACKGROUND] Abdominoplasty has become a popular operation among patients seeking body contouring surgery due to the recent development of laparoscopic procedures in bariatric surgery and the epidemic diffusion of obesity. The wide surface of dissection is responsible for common postoperative complications such as seroma and hematoma.

[METHODS] PlasmaJet system (PJS), a high energy flow of ionized gas, can be used to stop capillary bleeding from blood and lymph vessels. We tested the PJS in a prospective series of 15 consecutive patients undergoing abdominoplasty after bariatric surgery-induced weight loss.

[RESULTS] 14 women underwent abdominoplasty with the PlasmaJet system after a mean weight loss of 48 kg (range 37-53). Mean operative time was 73 min (range 60-87). There was no postoperative complication. Mean fluid output from drains was 351.1 ml/patient (range 60 to 568), and drains were removed at a mean time of 4.8 days (range 3 to 6).

[CONCLUSION] These results are in favor of the efficacy of the PJS in reducing the amount of fluid production, and the rate of postoperative complications. However, this should be confirmed in a randomized trial comparing the PJS with standard technique.