Is it safe and possible to have a Tummy Tuck + Hysterectomy at the same time? (Photos)

Question

I'm a 47 F with fibroids and need to have a minimally invasive hysterectomy. I have wanted a tummy tuck for the past 12 years since having my 2nd child due to loose abdominal skin. (I do not have a diastasis recti). I am a fitness professional, at my desired weight and rather than taking two separate recovery periods a year apart I would like to have both procedures at the same time. I would like to know if this is possible, safe, effective, and how I would even go about scheduling it as I cannot find any practitioners explicitly offering this combination. Thank you!

Mert Demirel, MD · Answer

Yes, a tummy tuck and hysterectomy can sometimes be performed during the same anesthesia, but it requires very careful coordination between a gynecologic surgeon and a plastic surgeon. It is not something every team offers, because it combines a medically necessary internal pelvic operation with an elective body-contouring procedure.
The main advantage is one anesthesia and one recovery period. However, the combined surgery is longer, and that can increase risks such as blood clots, infection, bleeding, wound-healing problems, and a more difficult recovery. These risks depend on your health, BMI, smoking status, the type of hysterectomy, and how extensive the tummy tuck would be.
If the hysterectomy is truly minimally invasive, such as laparoscopic or robotic, and the tummy tuck is not overly extensive, combining may be possible in selected healthy patients. If the hysterectomy is complex, there is a high risk of bleeding, or there are concerns about contamination or longer operative time, staging the procedures may be safer.
To arrange this, you would usually need both surgeons to agree, operate at the same hospital or surgical facility, and plan the order of the operation together. Your gynecologist and plastic surgeon would also need to discuss incision placement, sterility, operative time, and postoperative restrictions.
In short, it can be possible, but it is not automatically the best choice. If your main priority is safety, I would first ask your gynecologist whether the hysterectomy is expected to be straightforward and then consult a board-certified plastic surgeon who has experience coordinating combined procedures.

Sameer Karkhanis, MS, DNB · Answer

Hello. We have done quiet number of cases of hysterectomy with tummy tuck surgery. We call in gyanecologist, he firstly performs the minimally invasive hysterectomy or myomectomy, once he finishes we take over the case for tummy tuck or lipo-abdominoplasty. This certainly increase the duration of surgery. We have got a senior and experienced anesthetist with us. We perform these surgeries without crossing the safety limits or international protocols. For any further queries feel free to contact to us.
Thank you.

Regards,
Dr. Sameer Karkhanis,
Centre for Cosmetic Surgery, Mumbai, India,
+919833571333

Jeffrey M. Darrow, MD · Answer

Your tummy tuck and hysterectomy can safely be done at the same time with a slight increase in risk of complications as there are two procedures being performed instead of one. You would need to discuss this with your plastic surgeon so they could coordinate with the surgeon performing a hysterectomy. The hysterectomy would be performed first, and then your plastic surgeon would perform your abdominoplasty. This does give you the benefit of a single operation and a single recovery. Best wishes.

Robert M. Lowen, MD · Answer

Dear Passionate,
   You would start with finding out who you want to do your tummy tuck and see if your gynecologist and your plastic surgeon would like to work together or perhaps they already have.  The incidence of abdominoplasty with total abdominal hysterectomy in one study of 10,000 women was one in 50. One in 200 had abdominoplasty and minimally invasive hysterectomy.   Complication rates were comparable in all three groups, 9-15%. Operating times were greatest in the abdominoplasty and minimally invasive group. 
The largest complication rate was superficial surgical site infection, 3.9%.
   1.5 days hospital stay for the abdominoplasty with minimally invasive hysterectomy vs 3.1 days for total abdominal hysterectomy.
   So in the right hands and setting, a minimally invasive hysterectomy can be safely combined with a tummy tuck.

Kadir Berat Oyur, MD · Answer

I can completely appreciate how hard it is to feel like you are doing everything right by eating clean and exercising consistently, only to find that your stubborn lower stomach pouch simply refuses to budge. What you are experiencing is extremely common, as genetically determined fat deposits in the lower abdomen are notoriously resistant to diet and lifestyle changes, and no amount of targeted workouts can spot-reduce that specific area. Given your otherwise healthy lifestyle, you are a textbook candidate for a body contouring procedure; a conservative liposuction treatment can precisely target and permanently remove those stubborn fat cells to flatten that lower abdominal profile and complement the hard work you have already put in. I highly recommend an in-person physical evaluation so we can assess your skin elasticity, rule out any underlying muscle separation, and confirm that a minimally invasive sculpting approach is the most effective path to finally give you the flat, confident contour you deserve.

Frank Agullo, MD · Answer

Yes. Combination is routinely done and safe with the right team.

Gyn handles the minimally invasive hysterectomy first, plastics does the tummy tuck under the same anesthetic. One recovery instead of two, exactly what you're after.

The catch is the operation runs longer than either piece alone, so DVT prevention gets more attention. Prophylactic anticoagulation, sequential compression devices, early ambulation.

Scout it like this. Find a plastic surgeon who has done combined cases with gyn before. Ask whether they have a regular gyn partner or want you to bring your own. Most practices don't advertise the combination, but they'll do it if you arrange the second surgeon yourself.

At 47, fit, stable weight, no diastasis, you're a strong candidate.

#StayBeautiful,

@RealDrWorldWide

Gerald Minniti, MD, FACS · Answer

Your risk of a venous thrombotic event (VTE) is higher when combining these two procedures. In addition to the tummy tuck, you would benefit from liposuction of the abdomen and waist, which adds additional time to the surgical procedure, another risk factor for VTEs. As I have said multiple times in social media, anyone who has carried a pregnancy to term has abdominal muscular wall laxity, regardless of the distance between the two recti muscles, and therefore needs abdominal wall tightening. Do the safe thing, and separate your hysterectomy from your cosmetic surgery.

Michelle Zweifler, MD · Answer

Yes, in appropriate candidates, abdominoplasty and hysterectomy can be performed at the same time.  The advantage of simultaneous surgery is one recovery.  Preoperatively the surgeon’s offices need to coordinate the scheduling of surgery.  The operative time is longer and it is important to follow postoperative instructions regarding hydration, ambulation and activity to minimize any complications.

Ronald J. Edelson, MD · Answer

These procedures can be done at the same time. However you should check to see what your additional out  of pocket expenses might be so you avoid an expensive surprise. Because of the way insurance billing is done these days it could cost significantly more than doing them separately.

Daniel Barrett, MD · Answer

Dear Passionate96119,

I understand your concern. It is best however that you consult with a board certified plastic surgeon to determine whether you can have several aesthetic surgeries in one session, as this would depend on various factors including but not limited to your general health condition, the type of anesthesia that will be used, and the type of surgeries that will be performed among others.

Daniel Barrett, MD
Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

Is it safe and possible to have a Tummy Tuck + Hysterectomy at the same time? (Photos)

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