The Impact of Diabetes on Abdominoplasty Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background: Abdominoplasty is increasingly sought after by patients for aesthetic rejuvenation or functional improvement. However, no previous study has comprehensively evaluated the impact of diabetes on post-abdominoplasty complications. This systematic review aimed to investigate the impact of diabetes on outcomes following abdominoplasty. Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted systematically on MEDLINE Ovid, PubMed, Web of Science, and the Cochrane CENTRAL databases from inception to January 2023. The primary outcomes of interest were overall complications. The secondary outcomes included major complications and minor complications. A meta-analysis was performed in accordance with PRISMA guidelines to examine the impact of diabetes on post-abdominoplasty complications. Results: A total of fifteen studies involving 79724 patients, 5483 of whom had diabetes, met our inclusion criteria. Patients with diabetes were more likely to suffer from overall complications (OR = 1.63, 95% CI, 1.12-2.14; P < 0.05), major complications (OR = 1.44, 95% CI, 1.24-1.64; P < 0.05) and minor complications (OR = 1.84, 95% CI, 1.34-2.34; P < 0.05) than non-diabetic patients after abdominoplasty. Furthermore, patients with diabetes had a higher risk of wound-related complications (OR = 2.54, 95% CI, 1.80-3.27; P < 0.05) than non-diabetic patients after abdominoplasty. Conclusions: This study is the first systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate how diabetes affects abdominoplasty outcomes. It finds that diabetes significantly increases the risk of overall, major, minor, and wound-related complications compared to non-diabetic patients. However, it does not elevate the risk of ischemic complications. Surgeons should inform patients about these risks, and future research should investigate how glycemic control might reduce these complications.