Physical therapy for preventing and managing complications after abdominal contouring surgery: An integrative review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.62827/fb.v27i9.1353Keywords:
Physical Therapy Modalities; Abdominoplasty; Seroma; Edema; Postoperative Pain.Abstract
Introduction: Seroma, edema, and pain are common after abdominoplasty and other abdominal contouring procedures, and several physical therapy resources have been used to prevent or reduce them. Objective: To synthesize the evidence on the effectiveness of physical therapy interventions for the prevention and management of seroma, edema, and pain after abdominal plastic surgery. Methods: Integrative review conducted according to the Whittemore and Knafl stages. Searches were performed in August 2026 in PubMed, Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature, Scientific Electronic Library Online, and Scopus, complemented by a Physiotherapy Evidence Database search, manual searching, and a verification search in October 2026. Critical appraisal used the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool for randomized trials and the Joanna Briggs Institute tools for other designs, with narrative synthesis of findings. Results: Twelve studies were included: five randomized trials, six non-randomized studies, and one case report. Intermittent pneumatic compression, an external lymphatic device, lymphatic taping, manual lymphatic drainage, and a multimodal protocol showed favorable results mainly for edema and, in fewer studies, for pain; part of these findings came from non-randomized studies, combined interventions, and indirect measures of edema and does not necessarily demonstrate the isolated effectiveness of each modality. Abdominal binders and compression garments showed no consistent benefit for edema or seroma, and their prolonged use was associated with slower resolution of lower-limb edema; evidence for seroma was scarce. Small samples and relevant methodological limitations predominated. Conclusion: The evidence suggests possible benefits of physical therapy interventions, particularly for edema, with lower consistency for pain and insufficient evidence for seroma, and does not allow an optimal treatment protocol to be defined.
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