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High blood pressure could increase likelihood of blood clot

Ambulatory Safety Monitor, December 1, 2005

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According to a new report published in the December issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery®, men are twice as likely as women to develop hematoma, a type of blood clot, but they can significantly reduce incidences by managing and stabilizing their blood pressure, according to a press release from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).

"Blood vessels are like plumbing, said Daniel Baker, MD, ASPS member and study author. "If the pressure is too high in your water pipes, they are going to start leaking. It is the same in people. After surgery, if a person's blood pressure is too high, it will cause the little vessels in that area to bleed."

A hematoma is a common complication following a facelift, so the ASPS is encouraging patients considering plastic surgery to "undergo a careful preoperative evaluation by their plastic surgeon, as well as manage and stabilize their blood pressure with the help of their primary care physician."

In the study, male patients saw the likelihood of a hematoma forming decrease from 8.7% to 3.97% if they followed a strict blood pressure control routine.

A hematoma is not life threatening and rarely affects the final results of a facelift if it is addressed immediately by a plastic surgeon, according to the ASPS.

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