Can a peritonial dialysis patient get a tummy tuck and liposuction?

Dear Candancenanette,

                               

A tummy tuck and liposuction are major operations.  It is well known that people in renal failure on dialysis are going to have much bigger problems with wound healing.  If you decide to proceed with this, you must understand that you are at significant higher risk of wound complications even more so than a patient with well-controlled diabetes. 

Hello and thank you for your excellent question. Yes, you are still a candidate for a tummy tuck, even if you are undergoing peritoneal dialysis. You will need to be cleared medically before the procedure, but it is not unreasonable. Of course, you will need an in-person consultation to evaluate you for this procedure. Preoperative visualization and surgical simulation with the Crisalix system may help with your decision. Any treatment plan should be based on a detailed discussion with equal input from both you and your surgeon.    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.   The most important aspect is to find a surgeon you are comfortable with. I recommend that you seek consultation in person with a qualified board-certified plastic surgeon. Good luck!

Best,
Jon Ver Halen, MD FACS
Harvard educated plastic surgeon