ABSTRACT
Introduction: Cutaneous flaccidity in the upper limbs are important complaints among patients undergoing bariatric surgery. The final result after brachioplasty is a concern of these patients, but quantitative analyses of the results have never been described in the literature.
Objective: To quantify the cutaneous resection in the postoperative period of brachioplasty using the Pitanguy technique.
Method: Pre and post-operative standardized photos of this service were evaluated using AutoCad software, allowing exact calculations of distances, as well as the area of a triangle established in the pre and post-operative photos, quantifying skin resection after surgery.
Results: The sample consisted of women, with 50 years mean age, mean Body Mass Index = 48.11 kg/m2 pre-gastroplasty and 26.8 kg/m2 pre-brachioplasty. Calculations of the areas corresponding to cutaneous resection showed a 23.2% decrease in the brachial flap (p = 0.008).
Conclusion: Statistically significant reduction of the brachial flap in brachioplasty was evidenced by the Pitanguy technique.
Keywords: Gastroplasty; Weight loss; Lipodystrophy; Brachial circumference; Operative surgical procedures