Evaluation of Morphometric Measurements on Preoperative CT Angiograms to Determine Risk of Abdominal Donor Site Complications—A Retrospective Review of 174 Patients

Abstract

Introduction: Autologous breast reconstruction remains a popular surgical option following mastectomy; however, it is not without complications. Preoperative CT angiograms (CTAs) are often obtained for surgical planning, and morphometric data such as fat and muscle distribution can be measured. This study aimed to assess if CTA morphometric data predicts abdominal donor site complications in patients undergoing abdominally based autologous breast reconstruction. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed for patients who underwent abdominally based autologous breast reconstruction from 2013 to 2018. Along with population and operative characteristics, preoperative morphometric variables were assessed for the following: subcutaneous adipose tissue, visceral adipose tissue, skeletal muscle area and index, rectus and psoas cross-sectional area, and bone density. Statistical comparison to abdominal donor site complications was performed using logistic regression analysis for every 100-unit change. Results: A total of 174 patients were included in this study. Visceral adipose tissue was significantly associated with the development of infection ( P = .005), epidermolysis ( P = .031), and seroma ( P = .04). Subcutaneous adipose tissue, skeletal muscle index, cross-sectional muscle area, and bone density were not associated with abdominal donor site complications. Obesity ( P = .024), history of smoking ( P = .049), and the number of perforators harvested ( P = .035) significantly increased the likelihood of delayed abdominal healing. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that increased visceral adipose tissue, as measured by CTA, is significantly associated with an increased risk of abdominal donor site complications. CTA morphometric data and identifying high-risk patient characteristics can help guide preoperative counseling and better inform surgical risks.