What organs can you see during tummy tuck? Does finding terminal illness happen?

Hello Isalu82. Thank you for your question regarding the visibility of organs during a tummy tuck and the possibility of incidental findings.

During a tummy tuck, the focus is primarily on the skin, fat, and muscles of the abdominal wall. The surgeon does not typically see or directly interact with internal organs such as the liver, stomach, intestines, or other abdominal organs. The procedure involves lifting the skin and fat off the abdominal muscles to tighten the muscles and remove excess skin and fat.

As for the concern about discovering a terminal illness during surgery, this is very rare. Most serious conditions affecting internal organs, like cirrhosis, are diagnosed through specific medical tests and imaging studies, such as blood tests, ultrasounds, CT scans, or MRIs, rather than during a cosmetic surgery. Given that your labs are normal and you’ve had an ultrasound, it’s unlikely that a tummy tuck would reveal any unknown terminal illness.

If you have significant health anxiety, it may be beneficial to discuss your concerns with your healthcare provider or a mental health professional. They can provide support and help you manage your anxiety before undergoing any surgery.

Good luck, and I hope this helps to answer your question regarding incidental findings during a tummy tuck.

Sincerely,

J. Timothy Katzen, MD, FASMBS, FICS

Thanks for your question! Your organs will not be exposed during this procedure so this shouldn't be a concern of yours. I would suggest talking with a surgeon in person to put your mind at ease!

Thank you for question! During a tummy tuck, we are not able to see internal organs. We tunnel under your skin but staying above the fascia just enough to repair the muscles and stretch the skin to close the incision. It always best to meet with your plastic surgeon to discuss all your concerns and goals!

During a tummy tuck, the internal organs are not exposed. Only the upper layers of skin, fat and muscles are targeted.

Dear Isalu82,
during tummy tuck your surgeon won't see any internal organ. He will see skin, fat tissue and muscles and that is it. There is no way to see internal abdominal organs. If you are considering surgery, I would suggest you consult a board-certified plastic surgeon. Only after a thorough examination, you will get more information and recommendations.
Daniel Barrett, MDCertified, American Board of Plastic SurgeryMember, American Society of Plastic SurgeryMember, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

You can rest assured that a surgeon will not see any of your internal organs during a tummy tuck. Your surgeon will have already examined your abdomen and you have had normal lab work and an ultrasound. You will not wake up from surgery to bad news about finding bad stuff after a tummy tuck.

During an abdominoplasty there should not be any organs visible. I go down to the layer of the rectus muscles and repair any diastasis. From there, excess skin/fat is removed and then you are closed up. In my clinic you do have to be under a BMI of 32 and pass a plethora of lab work in order to safely move forward with surgery.

Thank you for your question dear @Isalu82
During a traditional Tummy tuck with muscle repair procedure your skin is separated from your muscles, as a Surgeon we do an incision along the lower abdomen, near the bikini line, removing excess tissue and fat, pulling the skin out, and closing with stitches. As you can see during a tummy tuck no organs in seeing. This is why is important to have evaluations with different specialist and blood work perform before going under anesthesia, that will guarantee you a successful surgery. Please have a physical consultation with a certified plastic surgeon and express all your doubts before your surgery date.

During a tummy tuck no internal organs are exposed as the abdominal wall is not opened. Abdominal wall laxity is addressed and excess skin and subcutaneous fat are removed. I encourage you to discuss concerns with your board certified plastic surgeon.

No organs are exposed during the tummy tuck because the abdominal wall is not opened. Your surgeon will be looking at muscle, fat and skin.