Liposuction of the abdominal flap

The postoperative aesthetic outcome was assessed using four predefined criteria by three independent surgeons in a double-blinded fashion. Each patient was assigned a postoperative score, with 1 representing the poorest outcome and 5 the best outcome. The mean score of all reviewers was then calculated for each case. These criteria included waist contour, residual adiposity (central), skin flaccidity, and the overall aesthetic appearance.

The "bury test" was used to assess the amount of horizontal laxity. The "bury test", almost the reverse of the pinch, involves burying the loose skin by tightly rolling the skin folds on either side of the resection area, and marking the maximum width of skin contact. This distance was measured both at rest and under tension.