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General Anesthesia with Tummy Tuck, Hypertension Danger?

asked 2 years ago by Kat7777 in Dallas
Latest answer by David A. Ross, MD
Question viewed 178 times
Tags: anesthesia, hypertension

My main concern is anesthesia, afer each baby my BP shot up to 191/110. What is the danger when someone has hypertension and anesthesia? What are the other options as far as anesthesia for a tummy tuck? I rather not go under general for 5 hours.

3 answers to General Anesthesia with Tummy Tuck, Hypertension Danger?

+1

Recognized hypertension is not a contraindication to General Anesthesia

The answer to your question will in part depend on whether your hypertension is a chronic condition or occurred as an isolated incident associated with the anesthesia during the deliveries of your children. If you are chronically hypertensive then you must be placed on  medications prior to surgery to control the hypertension. Once the hypertension is under control  this will help to maintain a normal blood pressure both during and after the  anesthesia for a Tummy Tuck... more
David A. Ross, MD

Chicago Plastic Surgeon
+1

General anesthesia for Tummy Tuck

Not only is general anesthesia much safer for someone like you, it is also the most appropriate for an abdominoplasty. Because of the length of the surgery, you definitely want to be totally out. Local anesthetic methods do not work well and other methods using spinal or epidural anesthesia are unsafe because you need to anesthetize so high on the body. These methods also allow unpredictable dilatation of the peripheral veins. This can increase the risk of postoperative leg vein blood... more
Robert T. Buchanan, MD

Highlands Plastic Surgeon
+1

General anesthesia a good choice for tummy tuck

A tummy tuck is a fairly big operation and it is difficult to ensure the patient's comfort with other forms of anesthesia. The good news is that the anesthesia provider will be with you constantly to monitor all your vital signs and deal with any problems instantly. It can be done with an epidural and IV sedation but general is usually the better choice. Five hours sounds to me like a long time for a tummy tuck, typically 2-1/2 or 3 for routine cases.
Richard Baxter, MD

Seattle Plastic Surgeon

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