Mummy makeover and chronic venous insufficiency/varicose veins.

All health considerations should be fully explored and determined to be optimal before proceeding with elective surgery.

Thanks for this question. I suggest you speak with your surgeon about DVT prophylaxis in three ways:

- walking immediately after surgery

- leg compression device before, during, and after surgery

- medical prophylaxis with either injectable or oral blood thinners.

Best wishes and good luck, Dr. ALDO :)

Board Certified Plastic Surgeon 



Top 100 Doctor for Realself 



Realself Core Physician

I appreciate your concern and you should be cautious. Most surgeons take precautions to prevent blood clots during this surgery, but extra precautions should be taken in your case. Your plastic surgeon should team up with your medical doctor to formulate the safest possible actions to take prior to and after surgery.  You should be worked up for pelvic congestion syndrome, because that may be a contraindication to elective surgery.  It most likely will be necessary to use a blood thinner called Lovonox after your surgery.  Proceed slowly and best of luck!

As long as you are cleared by your family physician, you should be just fine for the procedure.  However, you will most likely need a blood thinner for several days after surgery to help prevent any blood clots.  Early ambulation, compression stockings, and sequential compression devices used during surgery will also aid in blood clot prevention.

Thank you for your question!

Dr. Schreiber, Baltimore plastic surgeon

Blood clot formation is a serious concern for all surgical patients.  Surgeons take extra precautions to prevent them during surgery including the use of compression hose, SCD's (a device used to intermittently squeeze the calves during surgery) and some use blood thinning medications.  You can lower your own risk by not smoking, walking around as you are able after surgery, pumping your ankles, and doing deep breathing exercises.  I encourage you to have your pelvic veins evaluated prior to considering surgery just to be sure all is ok.  Discuss your concerns with your surgeon.  

Hello and thank you for the question. Yes, to a degree, there are many factors that influence the risk of a blood clot or DVT. Factors such as age, history of varicose veins, other health conditions, known clotting issues, type of surgery all play a role in the risk of developing a DVT. Tummy tucks are more at risk for this than other plastic surgery cases. Each patients risk are determined using something called the Caprini score. Depending on your score, surgery would or would not be advised. There are several preventive treatments used to minimize the risks; thigh compression stockings, an SCD machine during surgery to help pump the blood in the legs, and medical through short acting blood thinners. Heparin and Lovenox are commonly used to mitigate such risks. All surgery carries some risks, but with careful planning and attention to the details, they can be minimized, but not eliminated. You should have several consultations with board certified plastic surgeons before making any final decisions. 

As always, best to be healthy, no smoking, and make sure any health concerns you have are managed by your primary care md. 

Best to you.