Symptoms of Skin Necrosis After Tummy Tuck?

So you've decided to spend all this time and money on a tummy tuck and now decide to risk it all just to smoke. BRILLIANT!! Wow that's about the most foolish thing I've heard in a while. But I guess you didn't smoke the night of surgery. STOP SMOKING PERMANENTLY!! A dead, black skin flap or belly button not to mention heart and lung disease isn't worth it. And don't use nicotine patches or gum because they also cause the vasoconstriction problems that will kill the tissue.... more

THE RISK YOU ARE EXPOSING YOURSELF TO UNNECESARILY BY STARTING SMOKING IS SKIN DEATH. THIS MANIFESTS ITSELF AS A PROGRESSIVE BLACKENING OF THE SKIN TURNING IT INTO SOMETHING THAT LOOKS LIKE BEEF JERKY AND SMELLS AWEFUL. THE SKIN DIES AND NEEDS TO BE EXCISED LEAVING AN OPEN WOUND REQUIRING DRESSING CHANGES FOR MONTHS. PLEASE DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND STOP SMOKING IMMEDIALTELY AND AVOID ALL NICOTINE PRODUCTS!

My colleagues and I think you are REALLY missing the point. Nicotine consumption (smoking, inhaling someone else's, chewing, patch efc) causes narrowing of blood vessels providing essential oxygen to the cut areas held together by stitches. Were the flow of oxygen to be reduced or stopped, as is seen with smoking, the healing process begins to derail. In the LEAST, your wound will not heal properly, the scar will widen and be ugly. But in many cases, the tissue which is most distant from... more

Doctors in general do not like smoking due to health reasons. (Everyone knows about the detriment to your lung function, and the increased risk of cancer.) Plastic surgeons have another reason to dislike smoking - the decreased blood flow that it creates interferes with healing and can lead to surgical complications (healing problems, wide scars, fat necrosis, skin loss, etc.) This is partially dependent on your history of smoking (how much you smoke per day and how long you have been... more

In general if you have to ask, you don't have it. it is not subtle. having said that even if you "got away ' without complications this time, smoking in general but especially in the perioperative period is simply poor judgement. if your addiction is too powerful, seek professional help. good luck.

Although it is risky to continue to resume smoking following a tummy tuck procedure, I think you need to be honest and open with your plastic surgeon. I would inform he/she immediately as there are some simple steps that can be instituted to avoid poor wound healing, which may lead to skin necrosis and other complication. It is all about you, and you need to optimize your chances. Please make an appointment and discuss this soon as possible.