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How Long Does It Take for Skin Necrosis to Heal?

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MarineWifeFeb 24, 2011

I have a small section of my incision (about 1/2 inch wide at the widest part, by 1 inch long) above my pubic area. I am a day shy of 3 weeks post-op from surgery and my doc said last week that I had an area where the skin was dieing, it is now black and he said to just put antibiotic ointment on it and it'll heal up. I think it is getting better, but was wondering ususally how long it takes for it to heal? I was a smoker, and quit 6 weeks prior to surgery and haven't smoked since. Thanks.

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Dr. Michael Orseck, MD
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Dr. Michael Orseck, MD
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Answered on Dec 8, 2017
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Dr. J. Timothy Katzen, MD, FACS
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Dr. J. Timothy Katzen, MD, FACS
Board Certified Plastic Surgeon
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Answered on Nov 21, 2017
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Dr. Yucel Sarialtin, MD
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Dr. Yucel Sarialtin, MD
Plastic Surgeon
4.6 | 51 Reviews
Answered on Oct 9, 2018
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1 person found this helpful
Dr. Michelle Spring, MD, FACS
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Dr. Michelle Spring, MD, FACS
Board Certified Plastic Surgeon
4.8 | 51 Reviews
Answered on Jan 4, 2018
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Dr. Leila Kasrai, MD, FRCSC
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Dr. Leila Kasrai, MD, FRCSC
Certified Plastic Surgeon
4.9 | 155 Reviews
Answered on Dec 28, 2017
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Dr. Jerome Edelstein, MD
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Dr. Jerome Edelstein, MD
Certified Plastic Surgeon
4.9 | 235 Reviews
Answered on Dec 22, 2017
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Dr. Richard J. Bruneteau, MD
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Dr. Richard J. Bruneteau, MD
Board Certified Plastic Surgeon
4.9 | 317 Reviews
Answered on Jul 31, 2015
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Dr. David Shafer, MD, FACS
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Dr. David Shafer, MD, FACS
Board Certified Plastic Surgeon
4.9 | 135 Reviews
Answered on Dec 8, 2017
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Dr. Karan Chopra, MD
Dr. Karan Chopra, MD
Board Certified Plastic Surgeon
Answered on Jun 12, 2020
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Dr. Louis M. Iorio, MD
Dr. Louis M. Iorio, MD
Board Certified Plastic Surgeon
Answered on Oct 1, 2018
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Otto Joseph Placik, MD

Due to many factors and the length of the procedure, you should not do it under anything other than general anesthesia.  It is better for both you and your surgeon.  You don't want to be awake for a tummy tuck, it may sound like a good idea but it is not.

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Otto Joseph Placik, MD

You really should keep the lines of communication open with your surgeon.  You should keep him/her notified of your pain and see if you should go in for additional testing.  The condition may have worsened. 

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Otto Joseph Placik, MD

You really should discuss this with your surgeon.  Let him/her know about the swelling you are experiencing. 

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Christopher V. Pelletiere, MD

You would need to contact some of the local residency programs - Northwestern, University of Illinois at Chicago, Rush, Loyola, or University of Chicago.  One of them may ahve a residents cosmetic surgery clinic where they offer discounted prices.

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Otto Joseph Placik, MD

This is difficult to predict based on the pattern of your weight gain. IF you have an "apple" type body tendency to accumulate visceral fatty deposits, it is possible. If you have a pear like tendency, it s much less likely.

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Amy T. Bandy, DO, FACS

If it is soon after your surgery, this could be due to swelling.  If it is more than 6 weeks after surgery, it is possible that you have gained weight.  Another possibility is if you had liposuction of multiple areas and not your waist, your waist may now look larger comparitively...

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