Can a general surgeon repair a hernia then do a tummy tuck?

If a general surgeon is needed to repair any hernia in the abdomen, I work together with him/her to perform the abdominoplasty at the same time. This works well and is an accepted standard.Another accepted standard: It is safest to do procedures with surgeons who are also certified to do them in hospitals. This provides another layer of peer review and sets a high mark. I doubt that your general surgeon is allowed to do abdominoplasties in a local hospital. If he is, then another type of scrutiny is required.Hope this helps.Leland Deane MD FACS

I would recommend having your general surgeon work in conjunction with a board-certified plastic surgeon on this.  The general surgeon can do the hernia repair and the plastic surgeon is more qualified to do the tummy tuck.

I was trained and board certified as both a  general and plastic surgeon.  General surgeons are not trained to do tummy tuck although they may perform panniculectomy or skin removal.  If you can find a plastic surgeon with general surgery training, they could do both. the alternative is to let a board-certified plastic surgeon do the tummy tuck, and call in a general surgeon to fix the hernia. 

In my opinion the Plastic Surgeon could raise the Tummy Tuck flap and then the General Surgeon can treat the hernia and then the Plastic Surgeon should compete the tummy tuck. Following the General Surgeon's repair of the hernia- then the Board Certified PS can complete the Tummy Tuck. If the General Surgeon has privileges at the Hospital to perform a Tummy Tuck and has experience performing Cosmetic Surgeries - then he may be able to perform the Tummy Tuck. Keep in mind that most Plastic Surgeons are also Board Certified in General surgery

Dear Prettygirl263,a small umbilical hernia is something that can be fixed during a full tummy tuck procedure. I routinely repair these during my tummy tuck procedures. Not everyone feels comfortably repairing these however. Some general surgeons have experience with tummy tuck so you should check whether your general surgeon has the ability and experience to do it. Daniel Barrett, MD
Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

If your general surgeon has the training and experience he or she can do this. I would want to make sure they have done a few before. They may have been trained by a plastic surgeon at some point in time. I hope this helps!

I think you would best be treated by a plastic surgeon that can fix the hernia as well as perform a very nice tummy tuck. This is something most plastic surgeons do all the time. So the question is not is your surgeon qualified because he can probably get you through the procedure. The question is more ..is  he experienced with this combination. Also remember most plastic surgeons are also general surgeons based on prerequisite training and can easily handle both. In my experience the plastic surgeon or surgeon needs significant experience with this as to not jeopardized the blood supply to the umbilicus. We do this almost every week in our practice and have never lost an umbilicus but have seen it from other practices when the experience of doing these together is lacking. Think about it if your surgeon said he can fix the hernia laparoscopically then there is absolutely no reason he should be doing your tummy tuck other then he’s trying to make money off of a procedure he is not residency trained to do. He may not know how to anticipate the pit falls and complications that can arise so he would be able to avoid them. We charge 5500$ for tummy tucks and the just bill insurance for the hernias if found. I hope this helps. Please be careful and see a plastic surgeon experienced with both. Best of luck.

Dr Hedden

Hello and thank you for your question.  If your question is should a general surgeon perform a tummy tuck, the answer is no.  A tummy tuck should only be performed by a plastic surgeon who is board-certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery.  Perhaps your general surgeon meant that a board-certified plastic surgeon would be performing a tummy tuck after the hernia repair?  Make sure you specifically look
at before and after pictures of real patients who have had this surgery
performed by your surgeon and evaluate their results.  I recommend that you seek
consultation with a qualified board-certified plastic surgeon who can evaluate
you in person.
Best wishes and good luck.
Richard G. Reish, M.D.  FACS
Harvard-trained plastic surgeon

I am a double board certified plastic surgeon. These designations may allow patients to have small hernias repaired at the same time as their tummy tucks. I do not recommend having a tummy tuck nor liposuction performed by a general surgeon as the training is much different from a plastic surgeon. If you don't want the procedures combined you can have the hernia corrected first and then have the tummy tuck once healed.

Your general surgeon has given you good advice. I would not suggest having a general surgeon performed a tummy tuck. This is a very specialized procedure, and for a good result requires a board certified plastic surgeon with lots of experience with tummy tucks.
Your general surgeon could possibly coordinate his procedure with a plastic surgeon so that you could have both procedures done at the same time. Also, a plastic surgeon can repair the hernia at the same time as the tummy tuck, although it's difficult to repair the hernia as well with this approach. It's according to how bad the hernia is. Most plastic surgeons have been trained in general surgery as well as plastic surgery.A liposuction will not correct sagging skin. It only removes fat, so with your description of your abdomen, a TT is your best procedure.
For the tummy tuck, I suggest the no-drain or drainless tummy tuck to take advantage of the shorter recovery time, less discomfort, lower complication rate, and you are not encumbered with those dreaded drains for 5 to 10 days or longer.
Thank you for your question, and best of luck to you.