Plastic surgeons should consider a number of complications in patients with Ehlers-Danlos syndromes undergoing surgery.

Researchers investigating PubMed and Medline databases found 37 publications, including reviews and case series, that involved Ehlers-Danlos syndromes. They noted that patients with these syndromes may seek treatment from a plastic surgeon for excessive facial rhytids, nasal deformities and facial scarring. While serious surgical complications may occur and should be identified before surgical intervention, guidelines do not yet exist.

Results showed that these syndromes are “more common than appreciated,” according to the researchers. The overall point prevalence observed ranged from one in 2,500 to one in 5,000.