Is It Safe to Have a Tummy Tuck While Taking Dexamethasone?

asked 2 years ago by eddison in Salt Lake City, Utah
Latest answer by Armando Soto, MD
Question viewed 324 times
Tags: abdomen, drug

I've been taking 1mg of Dexamethasone for about four months now due to an adrenal insufficiency and fibromyalgia type symptoms. Is the risk of infection and reduction in healing safe for this type of surgery? Will the operation and anesthesia be too stressful on my body? I'm feeling well and would love to go forward with the tummy tuck as long as I can tolerate it. Any ideas from the community?

9 answers to Is It Safe to Have a Tummy Tuck While Taking Dexamethasone?

Cortisone and wound healing

Patients on steroids bruise more and have delayed healing. The higher the dose of steroid, the greater the risk. That doesn't mean the surgery can't be done; quite the opposite. However the surgical team should be prepared to account for the adrenal insufficiency and the potential wound healing challenges. There are specific steps that need to be taken. The surgeon should also be mindful of these factors and not enter into the case blindly. It is advisable to... more

Brent Moelleken, MD
Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon

www.drbrent.com

Elective Surgery in Patient's with Adrenal Insufficiency

Hi there- Under carefully controlled circumstances, I think it would be acceptable to proceed with your procedure- however I think that understanding the circumstances, you may decide it's not that important to you... You would need careful and close monitoring by your endocrinologist and medical doctor, as well as an anesthesiologist in the peri-operative period, and in a hospital setting- probably requiring a 2-3 day stay in the hospital. This would be very expensive. Additionally, even more

Armando Soto, MD
Orlando Plastic Surgeon

www.DrArmandoSoto.com

Patients on steroids can have tummy tucks, but extra care needs to be taken

Being on steroids does not represent an absolute containdication to tummy tuck surgery. The steroid doses will need to be modified around the operation. Usually increased doses or "pulses" are used. Wound healing is slowed by steroids, so nutrition and appropriate antibiotics are key. Long term steroid use can thin tissues like skin and fascia and make healing more difficult. In short, being on steroids does effect surgical planning and mangement. Make sure that the surgeon... more

Elizabeth Lee, MD
Bay Area Plastic Surgeon

artfulsurgery.com

Plastic surgeon and endocrinologist should agree on the safety of surgery

The long term use of steroids call weaken your tissues and increase the risk of healing problems. Steroids also are immunosuppresants (weaken your immune system) and increase your risk of infection. However, if your plastic surgeon and your endocrinologist agree that the risks are not too great, then you could proceed with surgery with careful management of your steroids (you will need higher "stress doses" during surgery) and appropriate antibiotics. It would be best to perform a... more

Michael D. Yates, MD
Huntsville Plastic Surgeon

Tummy tuck surgery and steroids

Steroids can delay wound healing and increase the risk of infection. However, the main issue is whether or not you are healthy enough for elective cosmetic surgery. I would suggest discussing this with your endocrinologist to see if he or she would clear you for surgery, and if so, what regimen you would need to be on prior to that time. Your plastic surgeon and your medical doctor would then coordinate your care, which will ensure that you have the safest course possible. Good luck,... more

Nina S. Naidu, MD
New York Plastic Surgeon

Tummy tuck while taking dexamethasone

Unless you are under the care of an endocrinologist I would refuse to operate upon you. There are very high risks with healing, bleeding, stress ulcers. Please be careful. From MIAMI

Darryl J. Blinski, MD
Miami Plastic Surgeon

Steroid use and tummy tuck

You have a serious medical condition, and stress is not good for adrenal insufficiency in general. Additionally, your body may change significantly with the steroids. That said, the operation can safely be done, albeit with increased risks. A first step would be to discuss you plans with your endocrinologist and internist, and let them know that tummy tuck is a major operation.

Scott E. Kasden, MD
Dallas Plastic Surgeon

Elective surgery while on steroids

As Dr. Aldea and Moelleken have stated dexamethasone, a steroid, has the potential to interfere with wound healing and increase the potential for infection. High doses of Vitamin A can reverse the effect but it will also reverse its beneficial efffects as well. Paradoxically, during anesthesia, they have to give you even higher doses of dexamethasone or prednisone, called stress doses, because your body normally requires a baseline level and your current prescription has impaired your... more

Otto Joseph Placik, MD
Chicago Plastic Surgeon

Safety of Cosmetic Surgery under Corticosteroids

Excellent question which I am sure would provoke a lot of discussion. It sounds like your are having Addison's disease aka adrenal insufficiency. (A historic disease which changed American history. Addison's disease also affected President Kennedy and was responsible for his constant back aches and the reason he wore a soft back brace on that day in Dallas which supposedly kept him upright after the first shot by Oswald. The bullet went through his neck (and then through Texas Gov.... more