Are Blood Clots Common After Abdominoplasty?

I am 39 yr old healthy. I want to have a tummy tuck with liposuction on my back planks or love handles. Was wondering whats the chance of me devoloping a blood clot? Are they always fatal? Also a little about me is non smoker and non history of blood clots.

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6 Doctor Answers | Asked by CHRISSYSMITH in WINCHESTER KY

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Blood clots after tummy tuck

Fortunately, the risk of blood clots in the leg (Deep Vein Thrombus) or lung (Pulmonary Embolus) is very low after most elective plastic surgery. If the risk was high and unavoidable, we wouldn't keep doing these procedures. Tummy tucks do tend to have a higher risk of blood clots after surgery than other plastic surgery procedures. There are things that can be done to help prevent them, though. I don't allow my patients to have long plane flights (longer than 2... more

Blood clots after tummy tuck

The risk with any surgery is pretty low especially when general precautions are used like lower compression devices are used and early ambulation is performed.

Steven Wallach, MD

12 reviews

Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

The chance of a blood clot with a tummy tuck

The quoted rates of DVT (blood clot) with tummy tuck vary tremendously. My recall is that this can range anywhere from 1 out of 40,000 to as high as 1 out of 3,500. They ARE NOT universally fatal. In fact, most are not. However, identification, when possible, and subsequent treatment is preferred. see video

Otto Joseph Placik, MD

33 reviews

Chicago Plastic Surgeon

Risk of Blood Clot Formation After Tummy Tuck

The risk of developing blood clots is present in ANY surgery requiring over one hour of general anesthesia. The risk may be slightly higher for abdominoplasty, especially if combined with liposuction. However, I and other plastic surgeons routinely combine liposuction of the love handles with tummy tuck surgery. The risk of fatal blood clot formation is very low. The best candidates are patients which are at or close to healthy body weight, non-smoker, have no... more

Liposuction at the same time as a Tummy Tuck increases the likelihood of blood clots

Blood clots are rare and as long as they are caught early are not fatal. Early walking, sequential compression devices during and after surgery help decrease the chances. Liposuction at the same time as a tummy tuck has been shown to significantly increase the chances of a blood clot.

Chance of Blood Clots after Tummy Tuck

Blood clots can happen but are very uncommon after having a Tummy Tuck. I would say less than 1%. In my practice we use all of the precautions that we possibly can to prevent them from happening.