Association Between Anthropometric Measurements and the Amount of Fat Aspirated in Waist and Abdominal Liposuction: A 20-year Retrospective Study

Background: Previous studies revealed that larger liposuction volumes were related to an increased risk of complications. However, no concrete data exist to support the most critical factor which affects the liposuction volume in the waist and abdominal area. This study was undertaken to investigate the relationship between the anthropometric measurements and lipoaspirate volume. Methods: : The present study was a single-center retrospective study. 742 patients who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria in our hospital, from January 2001 to August 2020, were reviewed. Spearman correlation analyses and multivariable regressions were used to assess the relationship between the anthropometric measurements and lipoaspirate volume. Linear-by-linear association chi-square statistic and Goodman-Kruskal gamma method were used to test the consistency and to develop a rank prediction formula. Results: : A total of 742 patients aged 18-59 years old met the inclusion criteria. Among all the anthropometric measurements, the highest correlation coefficient was observed in waist circumference. Subgroup analyses indicated that there was an interaction between the BMI and waist circumference on liposuction volume. Formula was generated to estimate the range of liposuction volume based on the nine grouped waist circumferences [liposuction volume (mean) = 106.3 waist circumference (mean) - 7497, P < 0.001, adjusted R 2 = 0.9638]. Conclusions: : Waist circumference was the most influential factor for lipoaspirate volume. Roughly predicting the lipoaspirate volume allows surgeons to estimate their operating volume even if no iconography machine is available during suction-assisted lipectomy. This can increase safety, potentially decreasing the number of adverse events.