Do I need to stop birth control before a tummy tuck? I would rather not if I don't need to.

This is an important question. Birth control pills can increase your risk for clotting especially in the first several months. I would discuss this issue at length with your gynecologist and plastic surgeon for specific recommendations tailored to you and the procedures performed.

Hello!  Thank you for your question!  Oral contraceptives are known to increase the risk of deep vein thromboses (DVT's).  Also, many medications given during surgical procedures are known to interfere with the efficacy of oral contraceptives.  It is highly recommended to use other forms of birth control during the immediate perioperative period.  I would discuss this with your surgeon for further advice and recommendations.  Hope that this helps!

It is ok to keep taking your oral contraceptives but please keep in mind that patients who are taking oral contraceptives are more likely to develop a post-op blood clot.  Also, the antibiotics taken at the time of surgery can make oral contraceptives less effective so definitely also plan on an additional form of birth control for 1+ cycles.  Best

I agree with Dr. Pousti.  Though not all of the data may be in, it's certainly considered standard practice by most conscientious surgeons to take patients off hormonal therapy prior to a tummy tuck.  I have patients cease hormones 4 weeks prior to a tummy tuck.  In my opinion this surgery has a somewhat higher risk of embolic event compared to surgeries that take the same amount of operating room time due to several factors.  The amount of pain after this surgery limits a person's mobility and the muscle plication is thought by many (including myself) to decrease venus return from the lower extremities and therefore increase the risk of clot formation relative to say a breast reduction of the same operative time frame.  In my practice I also use the blood thinner lovenox on all patients, have all patients see me the following day (to make sure they are walking), and check for clotting factor abnormalities (such as factor V Leiden) prior to surgery.  I also use a pain pump that allows for less pain and therefore a much easier time walking and being active after surgery.Be careful and weary of any surgeon that glosses over these issues and grabs your money as quickly as possible....I hope this helps.  Best wishes and good luck.

Thank for your question!If you are taking anticonceptives pills, you should stop taking them some weeks before the surgery. Ask your plastic surgeon for a plan. Those pills can increase the risk of DVT, (blood clots in the veins of your legs).The strogens in those pills is the cause.Have a nice day!

A tummy tuck has a fairly high rate of pulmonary embolism. Anything we can do to decrease this is important. One of these things is stopping oral contraceptives. If you have no other risks regarding deep vein thrombosis, it is reasonable to maintain your oral contraceptives. I would prefer to see my patients stop them and deal with a certain amount of inconvenience for a relatively short period.

The pros and cons of going off hormones is open to debate and
should be discussed with your plastic surgeon. There here are no firm
guidelines about his issue and most plastic surgeons do not require a
patient to stop birth control pillsbefore surgery.

Safety should always be the primary concern in any elective surgery. Since it
is known that taking hormones including birth control pills increases the risk of developing deep venous
thrombosis (DVT) which can travel to the lung and be potentially life
threatening, especially in a patient having a surgical procedure, it is
recommended in some of the valid scientific literature that they should ideally be stopped for 1 month prior to surgery and for 2 weeks
postoperatively.

I would suggest you find a plastic surgeon certified by the American Board of
Plastic Surgery and ideally a member of the American Society for Aesthetic
Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) that you trust and are comfortable with. You should
discuss your concerns with that surgeon in person.

Robert Singer, MD FACS

La Jolla, California

Taking any type of hormone around the time of surgery increases your risk of having a blood clot, or DVT (deep vein thrombosis) during or after surgery.  A tummy tuck is one of the types of procedures that also increases the risk of DVT, partly due to the length of the surgery, and partly due to the nature of surgery itself.  Are you having any other procedures such as liposuction at the same time?  The combination of tummy tuck and liposuction also increases your risk.Discuss your concerns with your board certified plastic surgeon.  Your surgeon will be able to calculate your risk of VTE (venous thromboembolism), such as a DVT based on your specific risk factors (including age, weight, medical history, etc.).  Your surgeon may require that you stop the birth control pill or may give you an option.  Either way, you should know that continuing the medication increases your risk of blood clot.

 This topic is somewhat controversial;  there is no “standard” or official recommendations that  can be made here. Although it is thought that the use of estrogens (or the natural higher concentration of estrogen seen during later pregnancy)  may lead to a greater incidence of thromboembolic events (clot formation and lower extremities and/or lungs),  there is no  "standard of practice”.   Some of the studies I have looked at demonstrate a 9 time greater risk of admission to a hospital for treatment of  thromboembolic  events (1:2000) for women who use oral contraceptives, compared to women who  do not use oral contraceptives (1:20,000).  These studies do not involve surgical patients.   Some studies Involving surgical patients report that for those women taking an  estrogen containing oral contraceptive and undergoing elective  major surgery there is a doubling of the risk  of deep venous thrombosis, relative to the general population.The risk seems to be somewhat dependent on the type of oral contraceptive, and the quantity of estrogen involved. Other risk factors include obesity,  inherited blood clotting disorders,  a previous history of deep venous thrombosis,  cancer patients,  certain auto immune diseases,  inflammatory bowel disease, hypothyroidism, renal disease,  long-distance air travel…The stopping of oral contraceptives prior to surgery may be of concern to patients/physicians at the risk of pregnancy is high,  due to improper technique or low success rate.  There are papers published recommending the continued use of oral contraceptives for this reason.  These authors recommend careful attention to the use of  venus thromboembolic prophylaxis during the time around surgery.  The alternative strategy  is to switch women to progestin only pills,  as this does not have a high association with thromboembolic events.On the other hand, there are many authors, based on their studies, who recommend stopping the use of oral contraceptives prior to surgery.  The  recommendations for the length of time, prior to surgery, that these medications should be stopped vary; the optimal time for cessation is not known.  The most common recommendations I have seen is to stop the use of estrogen related containing oral contraceptives 4 weeks prior to surgery. Ultimately, you will need to check with your own plastic surgeon ( and possibly OB/GYN physician) for their recommendations. As I mentioned above, these recommendations will vary from one practice to another.  In my practice,  given that we know the risk of venous thromboembolic events are cumulative ( and we want to do everything we can to decrease risk),  I recommend stopping oral contraceptive pills four weeks  prior to  major elective surgery  and the use of an alternative method of birth control.  Of course, the use of other measures such as early ambulation and the use of  pneumatic compression stockings are routine.I hope this helps. 

There is a very small but real possibility the staying on birth control during a tummy tuck can increase your risk of deep venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism.  I think it is wise to avoid and increased risk of these serious complications so with any major surgery, I recommend that my patients be off of birth control for one week prior to surgery.