Did I Ruin my Muscle Repair 3 Months Post-op Tummy Tuck?

Thank you for the question.

I am sorry to hear about your fall.  Although the pain that you experienced  is concerning, I think it is most likely that you have not done any serious damage.  I make this conclusion based on  the fact that you do not describe any significant swelling/ bulge/ bruising etc.

Of course, it is not possible to give good advice without direct examination  which should be performed by the plastic surgeon in the near future. If you are otherwise doing well then this is probably not an emergency.

During your examination,  your plastic surgeon will be able to  palpate the area and see if there is any evidence of muscle repair separation. This may become more obvious in the bent over (diving) position  or with coughing/straining maneuvers.

I hope this helps.

Jerah, you are wise to be concerned, as pain is one of the warning signs of tissues being stretched or torn, but also of simply being irritated or stimulated without damage having occurred.Or anything in between!

Certainly your surgeon has an answering service, and your surgeon (or designated coverage plastic surgeon) can address your concerns with additional questions and answers. Examination and allowing time to go by may well be the only way to provide a better answer, since no surgeon would re-open an abdominoplasty unless there is conclusive proof of need to re-operate, such as for hematoma or infection. The latter is not at issue here, but tearing the muscle repair is the concern, and only examination and time will give the answer.

As to estimating the chances of damage, without more back-and-forth discussion and examination, this would be a total guess. The fact that your pain was gone in 5 minutes is probably a good sign, More severe damage would likely cause continued symptoms. An expanding lump or bruise could be sign of a hematoma, which could be bleeding caused by the trauma of your fall. Other than that, anything unusual that you didn't notice before would warrant a call to your surgeon or the answering service.

Good luck and best wishes!