Jessica Simpson’s new memoir, Open Book, has officially hit shelves, and its pages house quite a few intimate details about the former pop star. In addition to information pertaining to her personal and family life, Simpson reveals she underwent two tummy tucks after struggling with body image issues for many years.
“I was so ashamed of my body at this point that I wouldn’t let Eric see me without a white T-shirt on,” Simpson writes, referring to her husband, Eric Johnson. “I had sex with it on and even showered with it on. I couldn’t bear to look at myself.”
She opted for plastic surgery after having two children—Maxwell, 7, and Ace, 6—and claims that her pregnancies contributed to her decision to go under the knife. “That was after I lost a ton of weight, and I had skin and stretch marks because I had two babies back to back, 14 months apart,” she explains, adding that the weight gain she experienced during these pregnancies was a major cause of her insecurities.
Before her first abdominal surgery appointment—which she says was for a partial tummy tuck—Simpson was told to cancel the procedure due to elevated liver enzymes (which indicate inflammation or damage to liver cells) caused by excessive alcohol consumption. However, Simpson did not heed the doctor’s warning and went through with the surgery anyway.
Simpson’s decision to go under the knife after her doctor told her not to was a dangerous one. While we don’t know the extent of liver damage that Simpson experienced pre-surgery, board-certified plastic surgeon in Las Vegas Dr. Jeffrey Roth says it’s very important for the liver to be healthy before undergoing any surgery, because it can increase your risk of developing a complication. “Post-surgery, [the liver] is very important, as it is key to the coagulation of blood,” he explains. “If blood does not coagulate well after surgery, there may be increased bleeding.”
Board-certified plastic surgeon in Troy, Michigan, Dr. Anthony Youn agrees: “The liver is important in detoxification and in clearing medicines from the body, including anesthetics. If her liver is malfunctioning or sick, then she might metabolize [anesthesia] and other medications differently, which can potentially lead to complications.”
Luckily, Simpson recovered from her first tummy tuck; however, she ultimately wasn’t satisfied with her results. She decided to undergo a second surgery—but this time, she chose to do a full tummy tuck. While a “mini,” or partial, tummy tuck tightens skin in the lower stomach area up to the belly button, “a full tummy tuck tightens the entire abdomen, from the bottom of the breasts to the pubic area,” Dr. Youn explains. Oftentimes, a full tummy tuck will sew the rectus muscles (aka those six-pack muscles) back together. According to Dr. Roth, these muscles are commonly separated in those who have had children or have had significant weight loss, which is likely what happened in Simpson’s case.
Related: Tummy Tuck vs. Liposuction: What’s the Difference?
Even though Simpson prepared for this second tummy tuck surgery by cutting down her alcohol consumption, she still experienced a serious complication. “The surgery took two hours longer than planned… It did not go well,” she explains. “I got an infection—colitis—and was vomiting so much, I thought I was going to bust my sutures. My mom and Eric were so worried. They had to rush me to Cedars [Sinai], and I secretly stayed there for nine days. Doctors talked seriously about me needing a blood transfusion.”
According to Dr. Roth, this is an uncommon—but possible—complication. Colitis is an inflammatory reaction in the colon that can be caused by a variety of factors. “In the postoperative course, the stress of the surgery, when added to what the patient is currently going through [healthwise], may tip the balance and appear as a clinical issue,” explains Dr. Roth. “Antibiotics can also sometimes cause an overgrowth of a certain bacteria [that] can also cause severe colitis [after surgery].” Dr. Roth reiterates that one should be as healthy as possible before undergoing elective surgery. “The risk of infection is higher in patients with certain preexisting conditions or who don’t take care of themselves as well [as they should pre-surgery],” he says.
Thankfully, Simpson recovered from the infection. However, this certainly serves as a warning for those looking to go under the knife. As always, it’s vital to do your research surrounding potential complications of your desired procedure and be sure to listen to your doctor when they voice health concerns pre-surgery—you’ll be happy you did.
