Health-related quality of life in patients having undergone abdominoplasty after massive weight loss.

[BACKGROUND] Due to lack of validated body contouring-specific patient-reported outcome (PRO) instruments, the outcomes of abdominoplasty after massive weight loss have been evaluated rather rarely and mainly using generic health-related quality of life (HRQoL) instruments. The aim of the current study was to examine, using body contouring-specific (BODY-Q) and generic (15D) HRQoL instruments, the HRQoL, and key factors related to HRQoL among patients having undergone massive weight loss and abdominoplasty.

[METHODS] Altogether 52 patients who underwent abdominoplasty due to massive weight loss completed the BODY-Q and the 15D HRQoL instruments. The 15D scores were compared to those of age-, gender-, and BMI-adjusted control sample of the general population.

[RESULTS] The mean score of the BODY-Q Abdomen scale was 50.7 out of 100 (SD 24.4). The HRQoL of abdominoplasty patients was lower than that of age-, gender-, and BMI-adjusted general population (p = 0.001). Sleeping, discomfort and symptoms, depression, excretion, and sexual activity were the patients' main concerns. Body image and psychological well-being were strongly associated with the perceived HRQoL. The satisfaction with appearance of the abdominal area was not associated with generic HRQoL.

[CONCLUSIONS] The HRQoL of abdominoplasty patients is lower than that of general population with similar age, gender and BMI. The most important factors associated with the HRQoL of the patients were body image, psychological well-being, and physical function.