Tummy Tuck: Q&A

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Is It Safe to Perform Tummy Tuck Surgery Right After a C-section?

Can I get a tummy tuck right after I give birth via c-section?

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33 Doctor Answers | Asked by anon

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There are multiple reasons to NOT have a tummy tuck...

There are multiple reasons to NOT have a tummy tuck right after a c-section: Your skin and muscles are stretched from the pregnancy. They will contract down significantly on their own - how much and how quickly is different in everyone, and this will dictate the type of procedure you would need. You will have just undergone a major operation in the C-section, and we don't want to add the risk of complications by performing another one at the same time. You will have just given birth,... more

It is not safe to have a tummy tuck immediately after C-section

Wait a year before having a tummy tuck after a c-setion and it is best to wait until you are done having children. It takes a year for your tissues to return to normal after childbirth. Your result will be much better after a year. My opinion is that it is not safe to do the tummy tuck at the time of childbirth. For a list of important factors to consider when considering Tummy Tuck after C-section visit the link below

No

A tummy tuck, if not "mickey moused" is a big procedure, one of the biggest cosmetic procedure we routinely do as plastic surgeons. To combine that with a C-section and childbirth, by themselves very significant physiologic events, invites problems. Imagine the mother had a blood clot , a significant risk with pregnancy and C-section, and died... because they had a tummy tuck at the same time! Or the patient had a suboptimal "quickie" tummy tuck because the surgeon was... more

Not a good choice

Thanks for the question. There are many reasons that this isn't a great idea. First - having just given birth you're still carrying a significant amount of your pregnancy weight. A good abdominoplasty requires a patient be at their ideal bodyweight. You will absolutely get a substandard result. Second - combining procedures (especially procedures as different as a C-section and a tummy tuck) can increase complications. Third - and something people don't think about a lot - is the post-op... more

ABSOLUTELY NOT! Any plastic surgeon who did this...

ABSOLUTELY NOT! Any plastic surgeon who did this combination during their American Board of Plastic Surgery exams would be immediately flunked and sent home as an unsafe surgeon. The tummy tuck surgery should be reserved for the right time - and it is not at the time of delivery. Your life is at a very unstable point at delivery and needs to settle and stabilize before taking on the tummy tuck. Also your tissues need to shrink after pregnancy to know exactly how much extra you really have... more

Tummy Tuck right after c-section delivery - Don't consider it!

There are multiple reasons not to consider an abdominoplasty right after giving birth: You have just delivered a baby! You will be spending a lot of time nursing your child and you want to be in as good a shape as possible during the early bonding time, rather than recovering from the tummy tuck. Your abdominal skin and musculature is stretched out. A lot of the laxity will resolve on its own as your skin regains its natural characteristics. If you were to remove all of the excess skin... more

Tummy Tuck after C-Section

Although it may be tempting to do a tummy tick at the time of a Cesarean Section, the convenience or seeming efficiency is not in your best interests. The tissues are a bit swollen and you won't get nearly as good a result as you would, if you wait at least 6 months.

Wait and you will get a better result

There are several reasons not to get a tummy tuck at the same time as your C-section: Circulating estrogens will generally result in a less favorable scar You will regain some skin tone and elasticity in the coming months after delivery. This would give a more accurate and tighter result. You will regain some muscle tone as well. You need to focus on you and your newborn baby. Not the time to be recovering from a tummy tuck C-section is arguably a less sterile procedure than a tummy... more

Is It Safe to Perform Tummy Tuck Surgery Right After a C-section

This is not a good time to have a tummy tuck. There are multiple reasons not to have a tummy tuck immediately after giving birth. The body needs about a year to return to normal after giving birth. After this time it would be appropriate to have a consultation concerning a tummy tuck.

Tummy Tuck Surgery Right After a C-section?

Yes it's possible but most surgeons don't like that timing. The abdominal skin and muscles are so altered by the pregnancy that we feel we won't get the best results until the abdomen has had time to go back to normal. It also increases some of the risks of surgery and our goal is always to reduce risk.

Wait after c-section before abdominoplasty

An abdominoplasty should not be performed in the same procedure as a caesarean section. Your abdomen needs return to a pre-pregnancy shape and you need to return to a desirable weight before any surgery can be planned. Your body has just been stressed by a pregnancy and operative delivery and needs to recover. It would be inappropriate to perform cosmetic surgery until all these conditions have been satisfied. There is no instant fix to transform you back to before the pregnancy. ... more

Wait after c-section for tummy tuck

I would recommend waiting four to six months after your c-section before proceeding with tummy tuck surgery. This allows the uterus to and excess skin to shrink in size and allow a better and more effective tummy tuck to be performed. I would not perform tummy tuck surgery at the same time as as Cesarean section delivery.

Tummy tuck at the time of a C-section? No!

It is not recommended to have a tummy tuck immediately following a C-section. Most women after a C-section heal beautifully. The abdominal muscles that have been stretched out and thinned by the pregnancy will regroup and heal normally (for the most part). The skin too. 6 million years of evolution have selected this to happen. Certainly there are women following their C-section where the muscles and skin do not recoil as well as others. That is where... more

Jonathan Berman, MD

Palm Beach Plastic Surgeon

www.drberman.com

Tummy Tuck and C-Section

No, it is not safe to perform a tummy tuck right after a C-Section: 1. There is an increase in the major complications associated with tummy tucks when performed immediately after a C-section. These major complications include blood clots in the legs, blood clots in the lungs, and death. 2. It takes approximately 6-9 months for the uterus, abdominal musculature, and abdominal skin to contract following the birth of a child. Performing a tummy tuck before... more

Suboptimal Results!

Its just a bad idea to combine a C-section with a tummy tuck and should not be done! With all of the physical changes that pregnancy causes there is no way that you can properly perform a tummy tuck with liposuction and expect to get anywhere near the results you can get if you wait until your patient's body recovers to or as near to its Pre-pregnancy condition as possible.

Suboptimal Conditions=Suboptimal Results

My goal as a plastic surgeon are to provide our patients with the best result under the safest and most optimal circumstances. Undergoing a 25-50 lb weight gain and then having a tummy tuck is not optimal or safe. We always recommend doing body contouring procedures at a stable weight that has been maintained for greater than 6 months. Therefore, a tummy tuck immediately after c-section will not provide an optimal result as the skin,... more

Tummy tuck after c-section

This is controversial and while some surgeons may be willing to perform this, the vast majority, in my opinion would prefer to defer this for a minimum of 4 months following successful healing and cessation of nursing. see video

Otto Joseph Placik, MD

32 reviews

Chicago Plastic Surgeon

Wait 6 months after childbirth for tummy tuck

I recommend waiting at least 6 months after childbirth (C section or vaginal delivery) before having tummy tuck surgery done. Results are much more predictable and wound healing is improved.

Immediately after C-section is not the time for a tummy tuck

This is a very common question, and the best answer is no. Immediately after C section is not the time for a tummy tuck for a number of reasons. First, your body is not at its normal "equilibrium" state in terms of swelling, stretch, and hormones to say the least. It takes time for your skin to shrink, swelling to go down, and muscles to go back toward their normal position Second, you will have a newborn on your hands, and the recovery from C section will be strain enough at... more

Is It Safe to Perform Tummy Tuck Surgery Right After a C-section?

Yes you can- I recommend a waiting period of 6 months to allow the overstretched abdominal skin and muscles to shrink naturally so that your surgeon will work on normal, rather than stretched tissues.

Wait a couple of months before having an abdominplasty after a C-section.

The abdomen (indeed, the entire body), needs some time to recover after a C-section. I would suggest a couple of months at least although there is nothing in our literature to support a necessay proper delay. The C-section scar is irrelevant since it would be removed as part of the abdominoplasty.

Right after a C-section is NOT the time for a tummy tuck.

Right after a C-section is NOT the time for a tummy tuck. Wait until your muscles and skin have finished shrinking and then your results will be more predictable.

No tummy tuck at the same time as a c-section!

The risk of infection is much higher. Your uterus is still distended aftrer the delivery of the baby and wouldn't allow for a great tummy tuck result. Your body needs time to equilibrate after a pregnancy, with all the hormonal shifts that occur, and you need time to heal from your c-section. You need to be there for your baby.

Carmen Kavali, MD

11 reviews

Atlanta Plastic Surgeon

Tummy tuck after C-section

The short answer is NO. It is not a good idea to perform a tummy tuck so soon after a C-section. Your abdomen will undergo significant changes after giving birth. The skin quality and abdominal muscle tone along with many other physiologic processes will change over the next several months. A tummy tuck is best performed when you are at your ideal and/or constant body weight. Also, you have a new baby to enjoy! You don't want to be recovering from a... more

Do not have a Tummy Tuck with a C-Section

Do not have a tummy tuck immediately after a C-section. The effects of pregnancy on your abdomen are at their peak during your third trimester. After you give birth, your abdomen will undergo significant changes. As you lose the pregnancy weight, your abdomen will thin, your skin will contract, and your muscles will regain their tone. The most compelling reason though is that you need to spend this time with your baby, not recovering from a tummy tuck. Also, wait until you're done having... more

David Bogue, MD

6 reviews

Boca Raton Plastic Surgeon

www.drbogue.com

Tummy tuck right after a C-section

The short answer is NO. Not only is your physiology right after deliver not optimal for recovering from this type of surgery, but your final aesthetic result would be sub par. The size of your uterus right after delivery would preclude obtaining the necessary tightening of abdominal wall muscles.

Do Not Have a Tummy Tuck Immediately After a C-Section

Tummy tuck surgery after a C-Section should not be performed by any qualified Board Certified Plastic Surgeon for many reasons, both for unsatisfactory results and because it puts the patient at risk. During pregnancy the body's tissues are swollen and distorted for 6 months or more after pregnancy and during that time your body is going through many hormonal and physiological changes as well. If you were to have a tummy tuck after a C-Section, you would most likley experience uneven... more

Tummy tuck needs to wait!

Abdominoplasty should NEVER be performed at the same time as a C-section. Remember that your tissues get very swollen and distorted over a 40 week pregnancy. It usually take takes about the same amount of time for them to return to normal. Be patient; your result will be better the longer out from delivery that you are. The only rare acception to this dictum, would be in a severly obese patient with a very large pannus. Rarely, rarely, rarely...in a situation like this, an obstetrician... more

Tummy Tuck after c-section

Although you could technically have a tummy tuck right after a c-section, you should not. Your body has just undergone tremendous changes from your pregnancy and the additional stress and risks associated with another major procedure just are not worth it. Also, you just had a baby that you need to enjoy!

Do NOT have a tummy tuck at the same time as a C section!

It is not a good idea to receive a tummy tuck at the same time as a C-section. From the pregnancy, your body is undergoing significant hormonal and physiological changes. Your focus needs to be on the successful pregnancy and your beautiful new baby. Take care of yourself, lose as much weight as possible, and wait at least six months after your C-section before seeing a plastic surgeon and considering tummy tuck. Best- Pat Pazmino, MD, FACS Board Certified, American Board of Plastic... more

Tummy Tuck and C-Section together

Doing a Tummy Tuck after a C-Section is a rather short-sighted and potentially dangerous idea for many reasons. The patient at the time of C-section is maximally swollen and bloated as are her tissues. As a result, LESS tissues would be removed due to swelling with later relapse and sagging. The blood vessels are maximally dilated with potential large blood losses. The amniotic fluid with any of its contents will contaminate the much larger area of the Tummy Tuck leading to potentially... more

No Tummy Tuck right after C-section

A C-section should not be combined with a tummy tuck. Pregnancy carries many risks with it and adding additional elective surgery to a C-section is not acceptable. Also, your primary focus should be your health and the health of your new baby. An elective procedure for the contour of your abdomen such as a Tummy Tuck should be delayed until you have healed and recovered from your delivery and c-section. You should seek the advice of a board certified plastic surgeon if you have concerns... more

Definitely not! The tissues are completely stretched...

Definitely not! The tissues are completely stretched out, and you have to give it time for the tissues to bounce back. This is usually at least 6 months to 1 year after delivery. By then, the muscles will be stronger and the tissues that are going to bounce back will have.