Risks of Multiple Open Abdominal Surgeries?

I have one final question about abdominal surgeries. What are my risks of undergoing a possible adhesion removal or another plication/hernia repair after having previous open abdominal (6 to be exact) surgeries? What should be a wait time in between surgeries (as I just had a failed breast augmentation repaired a couple of weeks ago)? If this is adhesions or a plication issue, are those things that I could live with for the rest of my life without repair? A CT scan has shown nothing. Thoughts?

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3 Doctor Answers | Asked by jgirlatlaw in Traverse City, MI

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Risk of abdominal surgeries

When you say cat scan showed nothing, i assume you mean there are no true hernias. i would wait 6 months between surgeries on the same body part. unclear what you mean by a failed breast augmentation. i guess i need more information about your previous "abdominal surgeries". were they for cosmesis ? were they for intraabdominal reasons such as your gall bladder or uterus.

Great question.

The problem is that after multiple surgeries the possibility exists that there is adhesion of bowel to the hernia sac. A CT scan often does not appear abnormal because there is no obstruction. also a CT scan is done with you lying down and the adhesion/s may go undetected as you abdominal wall is relaxed. What you need is an abdominal wall reconstruction. a plastic surgeon with board certification in general surgery or with a general surgeon on standyby would be preferable. you may... more

Complications after tummy tuck

I presume you are talking about tummy tuck surgery. It does not produce adhesions by itself. If a hernia is repaired at the same time then there is a risk of recurrence (5-15%) and also of adhesion formation if the peritoneal cavity is opened to carry it out. This is not always the case, however. You should discuss these issues with the surgeon you select to perform the surgery.