Abdominoplasty

Patients undergoing abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) usually stay one night in hospital and aim for discharge the next day. You may have some soft silicone drains in your abdomen for up to 10 days. We advise taking it easy for 2 weeks including taking time off work. We advise no heavy work or gym work for 4 weeks from the date of surgery.

After your surgery you will wear a compression garment for 3 weeks.

The shape of the abdomen continues to soften over many weeks and scars mature over months to years. There can be some lumpiness or swelling for 8-10 weeks post operatively. 

After abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) there can we some residual firmness or lumpiness of the abdomen and some mild discomfort or pain can occur.

Other risks such as blood clots in the legs or lungs can occur but are rare.

Abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) is major surgery which carries risk and trade-offs. Trade-offs are things that will likely happen and you need to be accepting of if you choose to have the surgery. Risks are things that usually don’t happen, but may.

Trade-offs

• Scars- all body contouring surgery, including abdominoplasty (tummy tuck), results in long scars. Whilst these often fade over time and can often be partially or completely concealed in folds or below the waistband, you should be aware of the risk of scars becoming thickened, stretched, pigmented or unsightly.

• Pain- No operation comes without some pain. Abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) is a major surgery. In the post-operative period it is common to have pain both around the wound, and deeper in the abdomen. Usually this settles gradually over the weeks and months after the operation however some people have some intermittent pain for longer.

• Asymmetry- every effort is made during surgery to achieve a symmetrical result. However, human tissue stretches in sometimes unpredictable ways which can result in asymmetry of contour and scar position from one side of the body to the other

• Bruising- bruising after abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) can be very extensive. Usually this settles and resolved however in some people it can leave some residual pigmentation long-term.

• Minor wound healing problems- with very long wounds, it is quite common to have some small areas of the wound break down and be a little slow to heal. This is more common in people with diabetes, people carrying excess weight and smokers. Usually these areas can eventually heal with careful wound care (dressings), but it can take may weeks and be stressful.

• Numbness- some altered sensation of the skin of the abdomen, especially around the scar, is common. Rarely this can extend onto the thighs.

Risks

• Bleeding- occasionally a major bleed can occur after abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) requiring return to the operating room or blood transfusion. These problems can usually be fixed but will be stressful if they happen to you.

• Seroma- seroma is a build-up of fluid (not blood) under the skin. Seromas are quite common and can occur in the first few weeks after surgery. Some seromas will resolve by themselves whereas some will require drainage. Seromas can become infected which adds further complication. A drain may need to be placed.

• Infection- Minor wound infections with large wounds are quite common- these can usually be management with antibiotics

• Major wound breakdown with or without infection- large wounds closed under tension (remember- the goal is to tighten!) carry some risk of major wound breakdown. When this happens, a large wound may appear at the bottom of the abdomen requiring further surgery and possibly an unsightly skin graft. Thankfully this complication is rare (probably around 1%). If it happens to you, things can usually be fixed, however it will require a significant additional input of time and be very stressful.

• Necrosis of the umbilicus- occasionally the belly button can have problems healing in the new location resulting in scabbing and scarring or this area

• Chronic pain, nerve injury- rarely, nerves of the abdominal wall or upper thigh can be injured in abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) resulting in chronic (long term) burning pain or numbness in these areas.

• Blood clots- DVT (deep vein thrombosis) and PE (pulmonary embolism) are serious blood clots starting in the legs and travelling to the lungs. These can cause problems with breathing, and rarely, death. To some extent, these risks are present with any major surgery. The risk of developing a clot is between 1-5% however the risk of death is extremely low.