Infected Incision 3 Weeks Post Op from Tummy Tuck. Should I Worry? (photo)

You are right to be concerned about the condition of your incision and umbilicus. I'm a bit worried that you are on-line asking questions, but I will assume that you are getting "unofficial second opinions" regarding what your own surgeon is telling you. Continued follow-up visits, antibiotic therapy, wound care including possible surgical debridement (removing the dead tissue), and particularly examining your breasts to ensure the highest likelihood they do not become infected also are critical to this turning out well.

If you are a smoker or are exposed to second-hand smoke, this could be the CAUSE of the initial wound breakdown, and infection a secondary complication of the loss of blood circulation that nicotine exposure can cause. It's too late now to "bring back to life" the skin and tissue that have died from lack of proper circulation, but it's not too late to limit the amount of additional tissue loss and damage that both poor circulation AND/OR infection can cause.

This is why we constantly are telling our tummy tuck, facelift, and breast lift patients to avoid tobacco or nicotine in ANY form before and after these circulation-critical operations. And YES, even ONE cigarette or exposure to second-hand smoke can cause skin death that leads to precisely the kinds of wound problems your photos show. If you are a non-smoker and were never exposed to the bad effects of nicotine, this kind of wound problem can still occur from inadequate circulation, or when an incisional infection or stitch abscesses develop. The black appearance of your umbilicus and several areas of your central tummy tuck scar look more like circulation impairment first, then infection developing in the dead or ischemic tissues. Fat dies first, then skin, which is why your incision initially looks a little red, then "suddenly" opens up to the wounds that look so terrible!

All that being said, any surgeon who has done several hundred tummy tucks has occasionally seen wounds like this, and careful follow-up visits every few days at first, then at least weekly (more if needed) will get things healed up as quickly as possible, and hopefully avoid problems with your breasts or liposuction areas. This CAN be a big deal if ignored or inadequately treated! When it all heals, a fairly simple scar revision can improve the increased scarring this kind of wound healing problem will cause, though the final scarring will be surprisingly "not as bad" as the appearance of the wound will imply.

See your surgeon ASAP if not already doing so. Good luck and best wishes!

Thank you for your question.You should be concerned with the wound, it needs to be evaluated in person and treated. Be careful when washing the breasts, you do not want any bacteria from the abdominal incision to get around the implants. Keep the area clean and be seen by your surgeon ASAP!

Thanks for your question. Redness, swelling, heat, and pain are all signs of infection. Infections are a big deal and should be addressed immediately when present.  Best is to discuss specifically with the operating surgeon so that he /she can take a look.

you are right, you have a wound local infection the best recommendation I can give you is that you attend constant controls with your plastic surgeon and finish your antibiotic treatment.

Your pictures suggest wound separation following
abdominoplasty surgery.Under these
circumstances, it’s not unusual for secondary infection to develop as well.This complication
can be seen following abdominoplasty surgery and occurs for a variety of
reasons.It’s often related to poor
blood supply to the skin flaps, excess tension on the wound closure, fluid
collections, primary infections and patient noncompliance.Each of these factors can significantly
increase the potential for this type of problem.This
type of wound separation is frequently seen in cigarette smokers.The nicotine in cigarette smoke causes
vasoconstriction in the small blood vessels that supply the skin flaps.This can result in the type of skin necrosis
demonstrated in your pictures.For this
reason, we request that patients stop smoking six weeks prior to surgery.In
addition, tight wound closures, fluid collections and inappropriate post-operative
activity levels can contribute to this problem.Most infections occur secondary to wound separations, but in some cases
infection may still be the primary event.Once
this type of problem has developed, aggressive local wound care is indicated.This may require surgical debridement and
dressing changes.In some cases, a VAC
suction system may be indicated as well.If infection is present, antibiotics may also be necessary.With
appropriate local wound care this type of wound should heal without
difficulty.Unfortunately, this wound
healing might take several months to occur and a touch up scar revision may be
necessary as well.It’s
important that you maintain close contact with your plastic surgeon.Your plastic surgeon should be able to
formulate a treatment plan that addresses your concerns.

Do not pinch or pick at the belly button scar where there appear to be infections. You can keep it clean on your own at home and hopefully allow the healing to continue successfully, but you can make an appointment with your PS for another week  that passes and the infection remains then you will want to go in to evaluate your recovery process in person.