MUSCULOAPONEUROTIC PLICATION IN ABDOMINOPLASTY - HOW DURABLE ARE ITS EFFECTS

Abdominal myofascial plication has become an integral part of aestheti c abdominoplasty in an effort to narrow the waistline. Out of concern for the durability of this procedure, we performed a study using stand ard radiographs and clinical photographs to determine if there was lon g-term separation of the plication. Nine patients were entered into th e study. In one patient immediate total separation of the plication oc curred, and in another no separation occurred at all. The remaining pa tients' plication separated over only a 1-3-cm distance in the central part of the abdomen (original maximum width of plication was 12-16 cm ). Aesthetic appearance was not compromised by this minor degree of se paration. We conclude that the effects of musculoaponeurotic plication are durable.