Clotted Vein on Left Side of Abdomen After Tummy Tuck Surgery? (photo)

I had full TT surgery on 3-29-12. 2 months post-op, I woke up with a sore ribcage & what looked like a tube running from my left side up into my ribcage. My PS told me that it was a clotted vein & nothing to worry about. He told me to take aspirin & that it would go away on it's own. I am now 5 months post-op & the vein is still bulging out & PS still says it will go away. My ribs get so sore sometimes that it hurts to sit down. Is this normal & if so, what can I do to unclot the vein?

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2 Doctor Answers | Asked by rodnang10 in Pikeville, Kentucky

Doctor Answers (2)
Community Comments (1)

Cord like vein after a tummy tuck

This condition occurs with tummy tuck and breast augmentation and is phlebitis of the superficial epigastric vein. Your surgeon is correct that aspirin and time will solve the issue, and stretch and massage may also help pop the cord and release the pull.

Your surgeon is giving you good advice.

This cord-like or tendon-like band is indeed a clotted vein, which can happen with any operation, or even an IV in the hand. Your body has plenty of veins to take up the function of the now-obliterated vein, so you really don't need this one, just as you don't need varicose veins that are surgically removed from the legs. Lots of extra veins exist, so this clotted vein will eventually soften, but will never re-open. When this happens with the inframammary incision for breast... more

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rodnang10 30 Aug 2012

Thank you Dr. Tholen! It is a huge relief to know that this is something that will eventually go away. I know that my PS told me it could take up to (2) years for my body to heal completely, so I've tried not to worry too much about it, but when it wasn't going away, I thought I'd ask for a second opinion just to make sure.

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