Am I a Candidate for Tummy Tuck, If I had Radiation Treatments 6 Years Ago?

Thank you for the question.

Whether a tummy tuck operation can be done safely after radiation to the pelvic area will depend on the presence of radiation damage to the abdominal wall skin and tissues. This can only be determined on physical examination.

I would suggest meeting with a few  well experienced board-certified plastic surgeons for direct examination.

Best wishes.

The choice to have or not to have a surgical procedure should be based on your being educated on the potential risks you are risking by having the operation contrasted to the risks you are taking by NOT having the operation. Cosmetic surgery, by definition, is "I want" surgery NOT "I need" surgery; It is surgery which only improves appearance, not surgery which saves lives or improves function the way Reconstructive Plastic surgery is. You risk NOTHING by not having Cosmetic Surgery and you DO take on risks by having it.

When the risks taken are great, many ethical Plastic surgeons would refuse to perform operations even though the patients would like to have them done. Sometimes it is MUCH harder to say "No" to a patient than to go along, be paid and perform the operation but expose the patients to such risks. Unlike surgeons who have seen and treated complications, our patients often view them as abstract and unreal until they affect them.

Radiation is used to prevent local re-growth of cancer. Unfortunately, it permanently damages the skin by causing severe scarring and stiffness of the skin with loss of the normal blood supply. Operating on radiated skin results in very slow to heal wounds which may die for lack of blood supply. In addition, due to the scarring around blood vessels and lymphatics, drainage continues for a very long time and seromas are very common.

I would strongly advise you to think about this long and hard before proceeding with a Tummy Tuck.

Radiation therapy would not be a complete bar to undergoing abdominoplasty but it does mean that the risk of complications, including necrosis of the flaps would be higher.  This certainly should be discussed at great length with your plastic surgeon and a determination made as to what surgery would be appropriate under these special circumstances.   I do not want to be completely pessimistic but please assess all of the risks before making a decision.  Depending on the extent of skin laxity, you may be a candidate for Thermage as a skin tightening procedure if your condition precludes abdominoplasty.  Congratulations on being a survivor, which is truly the most important thing!