Early Protein Supplementation Enhances Wound Healing and Reduces Complications Following Abdominoplasty: A Controlled Study in Non-bariatric Patients.

Early protein supplementation significantly reduced wound dehiscence rates compared to controls.

• Wound dehiscence occurred in 6% of the supplemented group versus 17% in the control group.
• The difference was statistically significant (p = 0.018).
• Supplementation protocol consisted of ≥1.2 g/kg/day using whey isolate or hydrolyzed collagen peptides initiated within 24 hours postoperatively for at least 14 days.
• Study included 200 non-bariatric patients undergoing standardized full abdominoplasty divided into two cohorts.

Early protein supplementation significantly reduced seroma formation incidence.

• Seroma incidence was 9% in the supplemented group versus 18% in the control group.
• The difference was statistically significant (p = 0.048).
• This was measured as part of a retrospective, observational cohort study design.
• Chi-square tests were used to analyze categorical outcomes including seroma formation.

Time to complete wound healing was significantly shorter in the protein-supplemented group.

• Mean time to complete healing was 16.8 ± 3.4 days in the supplemented group versus 20.5 ± 4.2 days in the control group.
• The difference was highly statistically significant (p < 0.001).
• T-tests were used to compare continuous outcome variables between groups.
• Multivariate regression confirmed protein supplementation as an independent predictor of faster healing (β = -2.94; 95% CI -4.36 to -1.52).

Surgical site infection (SSI) incidence showed a favorable trend with protein supplementation but did not reach statistical significance.

• SSI incidence was 4% in the supplemented group versus 10% in the control group.
• The difference did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.092).
• The authors described this as 'a favorable trend' despite non-significance.
• Data were analyzed using chi-square tests for this categorical outcome.

Multivariate regression analysis identified protein supplementation as an independent predictor of faster wound healing.

• The regression coefficient for protein supplementation was β = -2.94 (95% CI -4.36 to -1.52).
• Multivariate regression models were used alongside chi-square tests and t-tests for data analysis.
• This finding held after controlling for other variables, confirming supplementation's independent effect.
• The study population was specifically non-bariatric patients, extending evidence beyond the bariatric context where nutritional protocols are more established.

The study population consisted of non-bariatric patients undergoing elective full abdominoplasty, a group with previously limited evidence for nutritional protocols.

• 200 patients were enrolled in the retrospective, observational cohort study.
• Participants were divided into a supplemented group and a control group with no supplementation.
• The study design was retrospective and observational.
• ERAS protocols emphasize nutritional optimization, but evidence in non-bariatric patients undergoing elective body contouring was described as 'limited' prior to this study.