Tummy Tuck: Q&A
Ask a QuestionBlood Thinners and Compression Pumps?
I am in mid30 with csecs.I consulted with 2 drs for full TT. One said blood thinners b4 and 7days after TT alongwith comp pumps for legs during & 1 day after TT plus overnight stay. The 2nd Dr suggested no blood thinners & no compression pump & I go home the same day. No pre-op work was done and I have no hist DVT so drs know nothing about my hist. How can std of care be so diff when it comes to averting the risks of PE/DVT. What is gen guideline? Doctors come highly recomm & I like them both.
Tags:
12 Doctor Answers |
Asked by
LA007
in Los Angeles, CA
+2
DVT risk reduction and Tummy Tuck
Hi, thanks for a great question. Currently in cosmetic procedures there is no consensus for the routine use of heparins (regular or fractionated) during abdominoplasty. There are several grading scales that are currently in use that take into consideration age, weight, type of surgery, time of surgery, use of hormone replacement, smoking history, etc which help perform a risk stratification for the use of heparin during the preoperative and postoperative periods. Heparin is...
more
+2
Tummy Tuck and When to Add on Blood Thinners and Compression Pumps for Prevention of Blood Clots
Hello LA007,
First, I want to congratulate you for getting 2 opinions regarding your interest in Tummy Tuck surgery and for taking a proactive approach on educating yourself about the care before, during and after your surgery.
Here are some tips:
1. medical history, weight, use of hormone therapy, physical activity, smoking and length of surgery are all factors that can impact on the development of blood clots during/after surgery
2. the determination of an...
more
+1
Tummy Tuck and DVT prophylaxis
The Caprini risk assessment model should be familiar to plastic surgeons and this helps to stratify risk based upon age, BMI, length of surgery, and other patient risk factors. Most tummy tuck patients do not require chemoprophylaxis such as Lovenox if patients are selected appropriately.
You might also like...
Real Stories
Tummy Tuck No Liposuction / Hoping for the Best! - Doylestown, PA
In March 2013 I started having pain in my left ovary. After much confusion and a no...
+1
Clot prevention
The use of sequential compression stocking is standard procedure not,only with TT but with most operations. The use of blood thinners has not been standardized in TT . I do not use blood thinners because of the concern over bleeding. You will get different answers from different surgeons. If you trust your surgeon, which I assume you do, follow whatever their instructions are regrading blood thinners.
+1
Blood thinners
Great question. I use the compression pumps on all patients regardless of the procedure they are having. The duration of the surgery/procedure, deep anesthesia and heavy use of paralytics common in hospitals, and predisposing factors probably contributes to the incidence of DVT
+1
DVT (Blood clot) risk and Tummy Tuck surgery
There have been several studies on this exact topic. In fact, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons has a Venous Thromboembolism Task Force that has systematically reviewed this matter in detail. Multiple studies have shown the risk of a blood clot from a tummy tuck or related procedure is well below 1%. To help plastic surgeons select patients who may or may not need Lovenox (or some form of blood thinners to help prevent blood clots, there are published...
more
+1
Being SAFE during Tummy Tucks
Tummy tucks are great procedures, but have the highest complication rate of any cosmetic surgical procedure. One of those complications is DVT/PE. There is no single guideline for prophylaxis against DVT/PE, but a surgeon should evaluate the patient, take a history (including family history) and do the requisite lab work prior to surgery. At your age, with a medical history absent of any increased risk for DVT/PE, I would use sequential pneumatic compression devices on your...
more
+1
DVT Prophylaxis
Hello,
Although there are no absolute guidelines for 'abdominoplasty', there have been some excellent guidelines written to help surgeons to decide whether or not to use blood thinners (chemoprophylaxis). One of the best is from the Aesthetic Surgery Journal, March/April 2006, written by V. Leroy Young, MD. He notes that many previous studies looking at the outcome of large groups of abdominoplasty patients yields a risk of DVT at about 1 to 2 %.
If you are less than...
more
+1
Blood Thinners and Compression Pumps
The standard of care is not different. Observance of the standard is different.
You can assess your risk factors by googling "Caprini score." Dr Caprini has studies factors influencing blood clots in surgical patients Some patients will have enough risk factors such that blood thinners, usually Lovenox should be used. . Almost anyone undergoing tummy tuck has enough risk factors to have SCD's recommended. That is widely held to be the standard of care. Lovenox is not without...
more
+1
Post Op Tummy Tuck Care
You have stumbled upon an area of plastic surgery that is somewhat in flux. Over the past several years there has been an increase in focus on the prevention of DVT and PE. Although these complications do not occur often, they can be quite dangerous if they do. As mentioned in other responses, there are objective criteria that have been developed to assess a patient's risk and then recommendations based upon that assessment. At a minimum I believe there is...
more
These answers are for educational purposes and should not be relied upon as a substitute for medical advice you may receive from your physician. If you have a medical emergency, please call 911. These answers do not constitute or initiate a patient/doctor relationship.
Comments (0)