“PROFILE OF PATIENTS UNDERGOING COMMON PLASTIC SURGERY PROCEDURES AT A TERTIARY CARE CENTRE: A CROSS‑SECTIONAL STUDY”

Abstract

Background: Plastic surgery encompasses a broad spectrum of reconstructive and aesthetic procedures, and its demand has grown significantly worldwide. However, epidemiological data from tertiary care centres in low- and middle-income countries remain limited. This study aimed to describe the socio-demographic characteristics, clinical indications, comorbidity profile, procedural spectrum, and postoperative outcomes among patients undergoing plastic surgery at a tertiary care teaching hospital.

Methods: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted at the Department of Plastic Surgery, Kilpauk Government Medical College, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, from January 2022 to June 2022. All consecutive patients aged ≥18 years undergoing elective plastic surgery procedures during the study period were enrolled using universal sampling. Data were collected prospectively using a pretested semi-structured proforma capturing socio-demographic details, procedure category (aesthetic or reconstructive), perioperative events, complications, and patient satisfaction assessed via a 5-point Likert scale at discharge. Descriptive statistics were applied; continuous variables were expressed as mean ± standard deviation and categorical variables as frequencies and percentages. The study was conducted in adherence to ICMR National Ethical Guidelines (2017) and reported following STROBE guidelines.

Results: A total of 150 patients were enrolled. The cohort was female-predominant (64%), with the majority (52%) belonging to the 21–40 years age group and residing in urban areas (68%). Reconstructive procedures constituted 56.7% of the total surgical workload, while aesthetic procedures accounted for 43.3%. Among aesthetic cases, body contouring (liposuction/abdominoplasty) was the most common procedure (43.1%), followed by rhinoplasty (23.1%). In the reconstructive category, post-traumatic skin grafting and flap surgeries were most frequent (44.7%), followed by post-mastectomy breast reconstruction (21.2%) and cleft lip/palate repair (16.5%). Postoperative outcomes were favorable, with 88% of patients reporting no complications. Patient satisfaction was high, with 93.3% rating themselves as satisfied or highly satisfied.

Conclusion: This study demonstrates that tertiary care plastic surgery centres in India manage a heterogeneous case-mix dominated by post-traumatic reconstructive procedures, alongside a growing aesthetic surgical workload. The favorable complication and satisfaction rates affirm the safety and efficacy of plastic surgery interventions in this setting. These findings highlight the need for subtype-specific perioperative protocols, targeted resident training, and systematic epidemiological surveillance to strengthen plastic surgery services within tertiary healthcare systems in low- and middle-income countries.