Although bleeding complications represent a small subset of intraoperative and postoperative complications in plastic surgery, the effects of these complications are substantial.
Unanticipated surgical bleeding has been associated with increased operative time, unplanned return to the operating room, and significantly increased healthcare costs1. The estimated incidence of bleeding in plastic surgery is 2%. The main morbidity associated with bleeding was hypertension (that required medication), longer total operative time (median, 335 minutes versus 115 minutes), 7.3%, and previously diagnosed bleeding disorder.