Should I Seek a Consult for my Lipo and Tummy Tuck Results?

Hi, I had a full tummy tuck and liposuction done three weeks ago in Dominican Republic. I now have a knot on the top of my stomach and my sides are very hard.

I don’t know what it is and how it happened. Can I go and see a doctor in the states?

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6 Doctor Answers | Asked by Ms.ANJ in Plainfield NJ

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The Challenge of Dealing with Complications of Medical Tourism Cosmetic Surgery

Regarding: "Should I Seek a Consult for my Lipo and Tummy Tuck Results? Hi, I had a full tummy tuck and liposuction done three weeks ago in Dominican Republic. I now have a knot on the top of my stomach and my sides are very hard. I don’t know what it is and how it happened. Can I go and see a doctor in the states?" You now should look for a Plastic surgeon to examine you and treat you. But it will not be easy. The real problem with having surgery done... more

Medical Tourism: Follow up care.

Of course you can attempt to contact a surgeon in the United States but it is unlikely that you will be able to identify a provider who is willing to provide this care. see video

Otto Joseph Placik, MD

32 reviews

Chicago Plastic Surgeon

Tummy tuck and lipo in another counry

This is one of the problems of having surgery done in another country. How do you get proper post-op care? You should seek out someone in your community for follow-up to be evaluated.

Steven Wallach, MD

12 reviews

Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Tummy tuck done in a foreign country needs repair

Tummy tucks are a popular and effective way to contour the abdomen. Every year many Americans travel to another country to receive aesthetic surgery to save money.Unfortunately, they learn the difficult lesson that sometimes the cheapest surgeries and it being the most costly. If you are experiencing discomfort, pain, or fever present as soon as possible to a board-certified plastic surgeon who has a great deal of experience in abdominoplasty and body contouring. They need to assess... more

Depends upon the doctor

Hello, While I feel for your situation, many domestic plastic surgeons shy away from patients who have had surgery in third world countries. The reason is liability. I occasionally agree to see such patients, but have them sign a disclaimer that I cannot be held responsible for the treatment received by their former doctor. The law does not protect domestic doctors very well who treat such patients. This is sad, but true.

Find a board-certified plastic surgeon in your area

Absolutely you can and should see a doctor in the states to find out what's going on. I'd strongly recommend finding a certified plastic surgeon in your area who has experience with the abdominoplasty procedure. If you should need a revision, and I'm not saying that you DO, but if that should be the diagnosis, I ask patients to wait for a year after their initial surgery before moving forward with any surgical revisions. In your case, I'd still recommend that you see a surgeon now to... more