What happens to the veins in the stomach during a TT? Are they cut, and if so what happens if the doctor cuts a vein?

Question

i have a lot of veins in my stomach this is something i just noticed because i am getting a tt soon i have seen my doctor had a consultation but we didn't talk about this i am a light skin female so i can see my veins and its making me nervous.

Jeffrey D. Wagner, MD · Answer

Abdominoplasty requires surgical dissection and division of many small arteries and veins of the skin and soft tissues.  Typically, these are cauterized, or tied with suture or metal clips, depending on surgeons preference and size of the vessels.  This is a routine part of the procedure, so you should not worry about it.

Jerome Edelstein, MD · Answer

Hello,Thank you for your question. Veins are easier to see through some people's skin than others. The plastic surgeon will typically cauterize or clamp veins as necessary during the surgery. Circulation continues and veins regrow, so this is not something to worry about. Cigarette smoking can compromise blood flow and your surgeon will likely talk to you about eliminating unnecessary risks like that.All the best

Nelson Castillo, MD · Answer

Thank you for sharing your excellent question.  In any surgical procedure small veins can be cut requiring the surgeon to control bleeding with an electrocautery unit or with a suture.  In a tummy tuck this is not uncommon.  Because the veins are interconnected the blood finds alternate paths back to your heart.  This does not compromise your surgical results.  Hope this helps.

Erik Miles, MD, FACS · Answer

The blood vessels at the edge of the skin resection are severed and cauterized during the procedure.  This is not a cause for concern. Your body will develop new vascular channels as you heal. Best wishes!

Jonathan D. Kramer, MD · Answer

With a tummy tuck , the skin of the abdomen is elevated off of the abdominal wall muscles so the skin and fat is lifted as a flap. In order to do this some vessels are divided either with the elctrocautery ( which seals the vessels ) or tied off with sutures and divided. These are the vessels supplying the abdominal wall skin and are not “ major “ vessels, so if done correctly there should be no healing problems.   The remaining skin left after a tummy tuck is nourished by vessels coming in from the sides of the abdomen or the vessels that are left intact. 
Congratulations on making that decision and good luck!

What happens to the veins in the stomach during a TT? Are they cut, and if so what happens if the doctor cuts a vein?

Answers (9)