Effects of taping application in the immediate postoperative period in women undergoing liposuction in the abdominal and flank regions for breast lipofilling: a case series

Introduction: Liposuction was the most performed procedure in plastic surgery worldwide in 2021. According to data from the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, liposuction saw an increase of 24.8%, with over 1.9 million procedures compared to 2020. Fat transfer or autologous tissue grafting is used in both aesthetic and reconstructive breast surgery to correct volumetric defects. The preferred donor sites are the abdomen, flanks, and lateral thighs. To control the side effects arising from this technique, different approaches can be employed, including taping, which consists of an elastic adhesive tape that, when in contact with the skin, has effects to minimize inflammatory reactions in the area. Methodology: The research consists of a case series with a total of seven participants. The Visual Analog Scale (VAS) was used to measure the self-perception of the evaluated patients, with an initial score ranging from 0 to 10, where 0 indicates no self-perception and 10 indicates maximum self-perception of edema, pain, and discomfort in the abdominal and flank regions. As a descriptive variable, the averages of these values were obtained. The project has already been submitted for approval to the Research Ethics Committee of the Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, with the AgHUse number 2024-0085, CAAE: 79660724.5.0000.5327, and REBEC RBR-4s4fnqc. Conclusion: The presented results reveal a difference in the participants' perception regarding pain, edema, and discomfort levels with the application of taping in the immediate postoperative period of liposuction surgery in the abdominal and flank regions for breast lipofilling. Among the studied variables, edema and discomfort levels were lower in the experimental group (G1) compared to the control group (G2), demonstrating a benefit with the use of taping. The research is ongoing, aiming for greater recruitment to reach the desired number of participants and characterize a randomized clinical trial. Therefore, the results presented in this research cannot be considered conclusive.