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Risk of Necrosis After Tummy Tuck?

What is necrosis and how is it related to the risks of tummy tuck surgery? I've been trying to read up on all the risks and benefits of this procedure and this topic isn't exactly clear to me.

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necrosis risk

Necrosis means dead tissue.

Dead tissue after tummy tuck occurs when there is inadequate blood supply to the healing tissues, causing the affected tissues to die. This requires more healing over longer time, causes more scarring, and can require more surgery, skin grafts, and in rare cases, major reconstructive surgery. This can also, in extremely rare cases, even progress to severe infection and death. This is, when you think about it, true about virtually anything in life, such as a car trip, a slip and fall... more

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Richard H. Tholen, MD, FACS

Minneapolis Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Tummy tuck necrosis

Necrosis is death for the skin. In tummy tuck, it occurs in the lower abdomen near your incision and can occur around the belly button. If you are a properly selected, healthy, non-smoker with no disease of your blood vessels, and the surgery is done correctly, necrosis should not happen. Smokers and people with poor blood supply to the skin are at risk. Older people with peripheral vascular disease and those with inflammatory conditions like Lupus and other diseases of the blood vessles do... more

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Brooke R. Seckel, MD

Boston Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Necrosis is death

Necrosis associated with tummy tuck surgery is describing skin death that can happen if a tummy tuck is done on a smoker, a patient with multiple abdominal scars, or is perhaps done too tightly. It is caused by inadequate blood flow to keep the skin alive. If this happens, it can cause very delayed healing for months because the tissue is under tension and wants to pull away from the area of necrosis rather than closing in rapidly as would happen in other wounds. This is a very rare... more

Richard P. Rand, MD, FACS

Seattle Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Skin necrosis is a possible but fairly uncommon tummy tuck risk

Skin necrosis is a possible but fairly uncommon risk of having tummy tuck surgery. It occurs when there is not enough circulation to the tissue and the involved skin and fat can die. During tummy tuck surgery, the abdominal tissue is lifted off of the muscle layer and part of the circulation is disrupted. The area that is most at risk is the skin in the lower abdomen, just above the scar, in the midline. Patients who smoke are at much higher risk for skin necrosis because smoking adversely... more

Caroline Min, MD

Los Angeles Plastic Surgeon

Necrosis after Tummy Tuck unlikely to happen

Hello msmartha, Necrosis refers to actual loss of tissue due to lack of blood supply. That is extremely unusual and mostly happens in a smoker or a diabetic patient. A major infection would be another reason for necrosis. We ask anyone who smokes to refrain from any form of nicotine for at least one month prior to and after surgery. It is not uncommon to have some crusting or small open areas, but actual tissue necrosis would be very rare. Bring it up during your consultation and ask your... more

Francisco Canales, MD

Santa Rosa Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Tummy Tuck Risks

Necrosis, the death of skin, is a possible complication following a Tummy Tuck. There are always risks with any type of surgery and a well trained Board Certified Plastic Surgeon will discuss with you the benefits and the risks of any recommended procedure. I feel it is my job to educate my patients so that they are informed enough to choose the benefits over the risks. Your health history can also be associated with the risk factors of any surgical procedure... more

Christine Sullivan, MD

Columbus Plastic Surgeon

ASPS

Fat Necrosis

In rare cases, some of the underlying fat can necrose (die) because of an infection or excessive tension. An uncommon problem, it is usually nothing more than a severe annoyance, requiring additional healing time, dressing changes, and sometimes, revision of the scar later. It usually does not seriously affect the ultimate outcome.

Jon Paul Trevisani, MD

Maitland Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Necrosis is a known risk of a Tummy tuck or an Abdominoplasty procedure

What is necrosis and how is it related to the risks of tummy tuck surgery? Necrosis: The death of living cells or tissues. Necrosis is due to ischemia, a lack of blood flow. In this context it refers to the disruption of blood flow to the abdominal fat and skin due to the surgical procedure. This alone rarely causes skin loss, but when compounded with previous abdominal scars (surgeries), obesity, and smoking, the risk of necrosis increases significantly. All of... more

Carlos Cordoba, MD

Montreal Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Tummy tuck risks

Your question refers to a problem that can develop as a result of inadequate blood circulation to the skin that is pulled down in a tummy tuck. Any time skin is undermined (what plastic surgeons call a flap), the blood flow to that area is compromised, and when the skin flap is pulled tight the blood flow is strained further. If it is inadequate the skin dies and can create a significant problem. This is fortunately rare in nonsmokers but the effects of nicotine, which contricts blood... more

Richard Baxter, MD

Seattle Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Tummy tuck complications

Necrosis is a known complication of any plastic surgery procedure. Also, abdominal skin or fat necrosis is one of the known complications of Tummy Tuck. These is however evry infrequent in most people unless for smokers, diabetic patients, immunocompromised patients, and those with certain vascular conditions.

Siamak Agha, MD, PhD

Orange County Plastic Surgeon

ASPS

Healing after a tummy tuck

Typically a tummy tuck wound heals without any complications, especially in a mini tummy tuck. Skin necrosis refers to a complication when some of the skin next to the wound gets inadequate blood supply right after the surgery, turns black and scabby. This results in a poor scar and prolonged healing. Make sure your surgeon assesses if you have any risks that would predispose you to this complication, in which case some measures need to be taken, or the surgery might have... more

Boris M. Ackerman, MD

Newport Beach Plastic Surgeon

ASPS

Risk of necrosis after a tummy tuck

Like every surgery, a tummy tuck also carries known risks and publications. One possible risk is known as necrosis or death of the overlying skin or skin and fat at the edge of the incision. Necrosis can occur if the flap has been damaged or too aggressively manipulated or if a wound has been closed with excess tension. To avoid this serious public, your best bet is to work with a board-certified plastic surgeon was great deal of experience in Mini tummy tucks, regular tummy tucks, and... more

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B. Pat Pazmino, MD

Miami Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Necrosis is dead skin or fat

Necrosis of the abdominal skin or fat is one of the complications of Tummy Tuck. Smokers, diabetics and patients with certain vascular diseases are candidates for this problem. The majority of cases do well.

Hisham Seify, MD, PhD

Los Angeles Plastic Surgeon

ASPS

Necrosis after Tummy Tuck

This is a potential problem after tummy tuck. It is when abdominal skin (above incision line) turns black and dies. May be due to disruption of blood supply and/or outflow. Predisposing factors would be smoking, diabetes, vascular disease. Really important to discuss expectations and possible complications with your plastic surgeon. Good luck with your surgery.