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Oncoplastic Surgery for Colon Cancer?

I'm 29, single, no children, and in perfect shape. I had emergency abdominal surgery on 4/1 to remove what doctors discovered was a tumor in my sigmoid colon (it perforated the wall and I had a bad infection). Six weeks later, the swelling is down but my belly still looks misshapen even though I'm 5'6" and 118 lbs. I will undergo another surgery in the fall (after I finish 12 cycles of Folfox chemo) to remove all lymph nodes and take down my colostomy. While I'm at it, could I do a TT?

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6 Doctor Answers | Asked by ColonCancerAt29 in Washington, DC

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Combining a Colostomy take down, Pelvic Nose Dissection with a Tummy Tuck

The lymph node dissection is done to stage or see if the disease spread into the lymph nodes while the colostomy is taken down to establish continuity of your colon. Neither one of these operations should be combined with a Tummy Tuck. I would wait 8-12 months after the swelling from these operations has completely resolved and if you are otherwise healthy a Tummy tuck could be done as early as then with much greater safety.

Peter A. Aldea, MD

35 reviews

Memphis Plastic Surgeon

Tummy tuck and colostomy take down

It is not a good idea to do a tummy tuck at the same time as your other surgery. Any surgery involving the colon has the risk of infection and this would prohibitively increase the risk of infection for a tummy tuck done at the same time. Combining the surgeries would also increase the length of the surgical procedure and longer surgeries generally have higher risks. Also the colostomy site needs to heal before anyone can evaluate the extent of the tummy tuck surgery. Don't be... more

Not at the same time

I am glad that you are looking forward and having a positive attitude. After you have recovered from the final surgery that involves colostomy takedown, you can hade tummy tuck.

Kamran Khoobehi, MD

28 reviews

New Orleans Plastic Surgeon

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Tummy Tuck with 2nd Stage Colon Cancer Surgery Not Advisable.

I hope you continue to do well from your cancer surgery, and you are obviously upbeat since you are considering cosmetic surgery when many patients would only be focused on doing their best to fight the cancer. Nothing wrong with looking to the future, and cosmetic surgery would be a fine gift to yourself after this ordeal! But not at the same time as lymph node dissection and colostomy take-down. You increase the risk of infection, and you will be at increased risk for blood clots, so... more

Tummu Tuck with Colon Surgery

I would not recommend that you undergo a tummy tuck at the time of your lymph node dissection and colostomy takedown. I, and I think most plastic surgeons, would refuse to do this. I suspect that your colon surgeon also would nix this. At this time you should concentrate on "beating your cancer". One of the concerns is that you would be at a significant increase in the liklihood of wound infection and other potential problems.

Tummy tuck and colon cancer

I am so sorry for your devastating situation. Unfortunately, at your young age, with a cancer that has broken through the colon wall (not good prognosis), your only thoughts right now should be survival. A tummy tuck would be entirely inappropriate from a cancer standpoint and from the potential infection risk as you take down a colostomy. Focus entirely on your health and do a tummy tuck later.

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