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Is a Tummy Tuck "Easy" to Perform?

asked 1 year ago by onewomancircus in North Florida
Latest answer by Srdjan Ostric, MD
Question viewed 305 times
Tags: easy

In your profession, and strictly from the surgeon's point of view, would you say a tummy tuck is easy to perform? Maybe it's relative, but for an ABPS (& ASPS) certified surgeon who has only been practicing around 1-2 years to say this... Would you ever say this to a patient and do you agree?

14 answers to Is a Tummy Tuck "Easy" to Perform?

Is a tummy tuck "easy" to do

Quite honestly, I have done well over 2,000 TT's and for me it is probably the simplest of the surgeries I routinely do. However, it is an unwise surgeon who ever tells a patient something is easy because there are issues that can happen with any surgery and unless all goes perfectly you will wonder what went wrong when it was supposed to be "easy." Either ego, or inexperience, or the sense that they have to compete with the experienced surgeons would make a... more

Richard P. Rand, MD, FACS
Seattle Plastic Surgeon

Tummy tucks, ease of procedure

I would say that Tummy Tucks are generally technically easy to perform, but I say this with a HUGE caveat. For a procedure to be safe, it should be easy to perform. Transplant surgery, brain surgery, heart surgery are all risky becasue a lot of times they are extremely technically demanding. I would place rhinoplasty in this category as well in terms of technical demand. But what is hard is applying the right set of techniques to the right patient. This takes... more

Srdjan Ostric, MD
Chicago Plastic Surgeon

No surgery is easy

Dear Circus, There is no such thing as a simple surgery. All procedures, no matter how minor, carry risks. The technical aspects of the surgery may be easily executed, but there must be an understanding on the patient's part of the risks and on the surgeon's part of the risks, physiology involved and management of unexpected findings or complications. These factors make the whole process somewhat complex. Perhaps, your surgeon was trying to put... more

Kenneth R. Francis, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Knowing what and what not to cut! Easy is a relative term when it comes to surgery.

For a skilled and experienced surgeon this is a straightforward procedure that has a relatively low complication rate. However, any procedure requires a complex understanding of the physiology with experience in managing unanticipated variations in anatomy and knowledge of preventing and treating potential complications. This reminds me of my training with a mentor and hearing a patient complain about the bill. The patient exclaimed: "Why do you... more

Otto Joseph Placik, MD
Chicago Plastic Surgeon

Concerns about surgeon well founded

Hi there- To answer your question, I personally would not ever boast to a patient that I thought her operation would be "easy", and thereby imply to her that there was no risk of complications, disability, or pain. I agree with and echo your concerns... I'm not sure I like what this behavior says about the surgeon you saw. I generally think that our internal "little voices" are usually correct. If your is telling you to look elsewhere, I would do so. Fi more

Armando Soto, MD
Orlando Plastic Surgeon

www.DrArmandoSoto.com

Surgery "EASY"or "HARD" Depends on Patient

Whether a surgery is easy or hard generally depends on the patient, the extent of the surgery, etc. When everything goes smoothly, an abdominoplasty is a fairly standard procedure to perform. Any board certified plastic surgeon should be able to do these routinely. However, if a patient has co-morbid medical conditions, bleeds more, has a hernia that was not picked up on exam, or other associated factors, then it can become much more complex. more

Christopher V. Pelletiere, MD
Barrington Plastic Surgeon

Tummy tuck with ease.

All routine surgeries for surgeons that do the surgery routinely become relatively easy for that surgeon. For a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon a tummy tuck should be relatively easy. During this type of surgery the unexpected can come up and an experienced surgeon should be able to handle this and any post operative problems that may come up, that is what you pay for.

Walter D. Gracia, MD
Arlington Plastic Surgeon

Performing a Tummy Tuck

It is all relative. A good surgeon can make any procedure look fluid and very easy to perform. There are very subtle things that are done that can make or break the procedure. Experience is important, but remember that does not equate to the more you have done the better you are. Just having done 500 does not mean that your are great or even do good tummy tucks. It could just mean you have done 500 mediocre procedure. "Practice does not make... more

Farbod Esmailian, MD
Orange County Plastic Surgeon

Tummy Tuck "Easy" to Perform

Interesting question. Yes in the hands of a very experienced board certified plastic surgeon. Who has done over 500 cases. But remember this is only my opinion.

Darryl J. Blinski, MD
Miami Plastic Surgeon

Tummy tuck straightforward for experienced surgeon

Hi OneWomanCircus, For a well trained plastic surgeon a tummy tuck is a relatively straightfoward operation. It all depends on the person's experience. Like any surgery, experience is important. As far as the surgeon describing it this way to you, it may be that he/she was trying to communicate that for him/her, it is a straightfoward procedure. Hope this helps. Tracy M. Pfeifer, MD, MS

Tracy Pfeifer, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Is Bragging a Good Tactic to Assure or Convince Patients?

Regarding : "Is a Tummy Tuck "Easy" to Perform? In your profession, and strictly from the surgeon's point of view, would you say a tummy tuck is easy to perform? Maybe it's relative, but for an ABPS (& ASPS) certified surgeon who has only been practicing around 1-2 years to say this... Would you ever say this to a patient and do you agree?" As I understand your question, you are asking if I would boast to a patient that a Tummy tuck is "easy" to more

Peter A. Aldea, MD
Memphis Plastic Surgeon

Good plastic surgeons make it look easy but tummy tucks not simple

As with everything, the good ones make it look easy. A tummy tuck is not among the more technically challenging procedures that plastic surgeons perform, but attention to detail and planning are critical to achieving consistently good results. It is important also to have a good understanding of the aesthetic goals: what the features of an attractive abdomen are, what makes a good-looking belly button, and so forth.

Richard Baxter, MD
Seattle Plastic Surgeon

What is easy?

All surgery is surgery. There can be problems and complications. There is no simple surgery only simple surgeons. That said a tummy tuck is not complex - but is surgery none the less.

William B. Rosenblatt, MD
New York Plastic Surgeon

Is a Tummy Tuck easy to perform

This really is a relative question. For someone with no training and no skill, a tummy tuck is not easy to perform - and definitely will not have good results. For a board certified plastic surgeon who has performed hundred or thousands of these procedures, yes, they are easy to perform. However, there is great skill which goes along with training and all surgeons do not have the artistic eye which is also necessary when performing cosmetic surgery. more