Should bleeding within hours of surgery, required reoperation, multiple blood transfusions and days in ICU stop a revision?

Question

I am 38, 5'3" and weigh 130 lbs. I had a tummy tuck with muscle repair done 13 weeks ago. It was covered by insurance and called a panniculectomy because of how much weight I lost. I do not think he removed nearly enough skin and I am very unhappy with my results. Im having a hard time deciding if I should get a revision or not. I know I need one. I just cant decide if its medically smart given the complications I had with this surgery.

Alan Gonzalez, MD, FACS · Answer

Hello @acedit, thank you for your question. Remember that surgery has a process for healing that can take up to a year so you need to wait for the tissue to heal from this surgery in order to have a revision. Best wishes! Alan Gonzalez MD, FACS. American Society of Plastic Surgery Member (ASPS), International Federation for Adipose Therapeutics and Science” Member (IFATS), Colombian Society of Plastic Surgery member (SCCP)

Daniel Barrett, MD · Answer

Dear acedit,
it is hard to tell for sure without an examination. If you are considering surgery, I would suggest you consult a board-certified plastic surgeon. Only after a thorough examination, you will get more information and recommendations.
Daniel Barrett, MD
Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

Camille Cash, MD · Answer

I'm sorry to hear of the issues you had after surgery.  You will need to be fully healed from your procedure and cleared by specialists before considering any further surgery.  Depending on the reason behind the complications you may or may not be a candidate for a revision.  You went through quite a bit.  I'd proceed with caution.

Ralph M. Rosato, MD · Answer

A panniculectomy is not a cosmetic procedure. An abdominoplasty is a cosmetic procedure.  You will need a physical exam to determine if a revision will help your condition.

Mats Hagstrom, MD (license on probation) · Answer

A panniculectomy is not a tummy tuck. not even close. The aesthetic outcome of a panniculectomy is not the purpose of the procedure. The purpose is to stop skin infections from constant skin contact.
It is not an aesthetic procedure.
Without including pictures we can’t make any type of assessments.
A revision may or may not be covered by your medical insurance company since removing the skin as most likely eliminated the potential skin infection.
Individuals who have had morbid obesity sometimes have very large blood vessels still remaining that used to be necessary to supply the tissues related to obesity.
Whether you are at risk for recurrent significant bleeding or not is something you should discuss with your plastic surgeon.
Without context it’s not possible to give you an accurate or meaningful answer.
Best,
Mats Hagstrom MD

Should bleeding within hours of surgery, required reoperation, multiple blood transfusions and days in ICU stop a revision?

Answers (5)