Chances of dying during a tummy tuck: I would absolutely love to get an alternative. (Photos)

Any surgery, including tummy tuck or abdominoplasty carries risks, including that of death. Fortunately, this is rare. In fact, patients have higher chance of death with driving than with undergoing a tummy tuck as long as their health status has been optimized. 

I have heard this concern from patients before.  On a statistical basis your risk of death from a tummy tuck is extremely small.  The most I,portent thing with tummy tucks is to avoid clots in the legs during surgery with compression stocking which is standard and start moving around after surgery to keep the circulation in your legs going.

Hello,The risk of death from a tummy tuck is about 1/15000, compared to 1/650 for a car. That statistic is all comers, including many who shouldn't have gotten a tummy tuck.  For young healthy, non-obese individuals, it is much much lower. You'd be a great candidate for a tummy tuck. Go visit a few ABPS certified/ASAPS member surgeons who specialize in body contouring. Best of luck!

A tummy tuck procedure is one of the bigger surgeries that we as plastic surgeons perform as an outpatient.  Although the surgery has risks, if you undergo proper medical clearance and are being taken care of by board-certified physicians well-trained in this procedure, the risk of dying is very low.  However, you must quit smoking at least 1 month prior to the surgery because you put yourself at higher risk for complications for such a big procedure.  

Thank you for your pictures and questions. You would be best served by a tummy tuck procedure. Having this surgery is safer than driving in your car on a highway. You need to be realistic about your risks from the operation and if you are serious about limiting risk, then I would recommend you stop smoking ASAP and go see your regular doctor to make sure you are in good health. Once that is done, go see a plastic surgeon to discuss your options. Good luck!

are miniscule but every procedure has risks and you must be accepting of that.  And if you cannot accept risks that are less than driving your car, then you should not have this done.  A tummy tuck can produce a great outcome from your photos posted.  You can discuss your concerns with your surgeon and decide if your risks are high enough to consider adding on additional safeguards (at additional, non-lifethreating risks) as you recover.  And you should be focused on ambulating early and often to minimize your risks.

Tummy tuck surgery is generally safe but some factors increase risk of complications. These include:1. Obesity2. Smoking3. Steroid medication or other immunosuppression4. Advanced age5. History of blood clots or clotting disorders6. Cardiovascular disordersAs a smoker, you'd be advised to stop for a minimum of 4-6 weeks preop and for the duration of your recovery. You may require a preop medical clearance depending on your medical history and risk factors and the surgeon/facility protocols. Having said all this, you have to balance your desire for rejuvenation against your safety concerns. Most experienced body contouring plastic surgeons routinely do this surgery on young mothers with excellent results and with a focus on safety. I do not believe from your photos that nonoperative "skin-tightening" devices are really likely to give you improvement in shaping and skin tone to your satisfaction, and they certainly can't rival a tummy tuck in terms of the power to make lasting and visible transformation.

Every surgery should be taken very seriously. I invented a tummy tuck where patients typically wake up in no pain and walk to the recovery room. The oldest patient I performed this on is 81 years old. The surgery was not done at a hospital but at a private certified surgical center and the anesthesia is not delivered by a nurse but by a excellent doctor anesthesiologist. By utilizing the FINNESSE technique, which I invented, bleeding is minimal, usually about three to five teaspoons. In addition the anesthesiologist uses less anesthesia so patients are able to wake up after surgery and walk to the recovery room. After surgery ambulation is important in minimizing chances of developing blood clots in the legs. In addition sequential progression devices are placed around the patients legs. These massage their calves during surgery to minimize the chances of developing blood clots. In addition we utilize a bair hugger. This blows warm air on the patients and helps keeps their body temperature close to normal. I change my gloves frequently during surgery and this helps to minimize chances of infection. By incorporating all of these techniques I’m able to perform surgery on patients even into their late seventies into early eighties. I hope you find this information useful. Please watch the enclosed video.

Thank you for the question.  Based on your photographs alone, I think that you will do well with tummy tuck surgery;  any "lesser" procedure or noninvasive modality will likely leave you with an outcome that you will not be pleased with.

Generally speaking, the “ideal” patient for tummy tuck surgery is one who has completed pregnancies, is psycho socially/emotionally/financially stable, has an excellent social support system surrounding him/her, is capable of arranging enough recovery time, does not smoke and who has reached a long-term stable weight.

Although your concerns are understandable, assuming a carefully selected patient ( appropriate  surgical candidate),  carefully selected plastic surgeon (Board-certified plastic surgeon with an excellent safety record),  expertise of a board certified anesthesiologist,  and surgery performed in a fully accredited surgery facility, the risk of dying during tummy tuck surgery is very small.

 Of course, there are many risks associated with tummy tuck surgery; the majority of serious complications that may occur with tummy tuck surgery occur within the first 2 weeks.  These may include deep venous thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, pneumonia, infection, bleeding, and even death.  Fortunately, the potential for these types of major complications are very small, assuming careful selection of plastic surgeon, anesthesiologist, and fully accredited surgery facility.  Again, careful selection of plastic surgeon will help minimize potential risks...

Other types of complications that are more likely include superficial incision line healing problems ( wound healing problems), seromas,  abdominal wall asymmetry, abnormal scarring, unsatisfactory cosmetic result…   



 
When the time is right, seek consultation with board-certified plastic surgeons who can demonstrate significant experience helping patients achieve the types of outcomes you would be pleased with.  Then communicate your concerns, goals, questions carefully. After a careful consideration of pros/cons, you will be able to make an informed decision whether or not to proceed.

  Best wishes. 

Thank you for the question and photos and you are in good health you are probably safer having a TT then getting in your car to drive anywhere in California.  So go on some complimentary consultations with experts and be evaluated in person and become informed about the desired procedure Dr Corbin