title: The impact of the menstrual cycle on intra-operative and postoperative bleeding in abdominoplasty patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hormonal changes that take place during the menstrual cycle may have an effect on perioperative bleeding. Previous studies have confirmed a relationship between the menstrual cycle and surgical bleeding in rhinoplasty and breast reduction surgery; yet both surgical sites display changes in accordance with sex hormone levels during the menstrual phase.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to determine the effect of the menstrual cycle on perioperative bleeding when undergoing surgeries of sites not directly related to menstrual hormonal changes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-one patients undergoing abdominoplasty were grouped as group A - perimenstrual (0-7, 21-28 days), group B - periovulatory (8-20 days) and group C - postmenopausal. Intra-operative blood loss was calculated during surgery while postoperative blood loss was determined by measuring the amount of drainage. All menstrual data were recorded. Age, body mass index and weight of the resected tissue were also considered as factors that can affect the amount of bleeding and therefore were also evaluated in terms of significance.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no significant difference between groups regarding intra-operative and postoperative blood loss. Body mass index and weight of the resected tissue had a strong influence on the time of drain removal and the amount of intra-operative and postoperative blood loss.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study strongly suggests that the menstrual period does not affect perioperative blood loss for operations on areas less sensitive to sex hormone levels such as the abdomen. In light of the results, we can conclude that the patient's menstrual date is not of vital importance regarding perioperative blood loss when planning surgery for areas with less sensitivity to menstrual hormonal changes.
authors.affiliation: Gazi University Faculty of Medicine Hospital, Department of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery, Ankara, Turkey. kemaldoctor@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Kemal
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Findikcioglu
authors.forename: Fulya
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Findikcioglu
authors.forename: Billur
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sezgin
authors.forename: Yener
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Demirtas
authors.forename: Reha
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yavuzer
mesh_terms: D061645:Abdominoplasty; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016063:Blood Loss, Surgical / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D004322:Drainage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008597:Menstrual Cycle / Q000502:physiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors