Scared to death of tummy tuck post op complications

Dear ngirl23662,
as long as you are well prepared for surgery and your surgeon is a board-certified plastic surgeon, you should be fine. If you are considering a surgery, I would suggest you to consult a board-certified plastic surgeon. Only after a thorough examination you will get more information and recommendations.
Daniel Barrett, MD
Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

Thank you for your question. You should be at a BMI of 30 or less to be a good candidate for a tummy tuck, good health, non- smoker. Major complications from a tummy tuck are rare, but a blood clot or pulmonary embolus can be deadly. Minor complications like wound infection and separation are rare as well in the hands of a well trained board certified plastic surgeon using current techniques.

I do these surgeries in our certified office surgery suite under intravenous sedation only, treat the whole torso with liposuction and a tummy tuck is part of my total body rejuvenation technique. I have close to zero infection or wound separation. Using a drain will not increase infection rate as some might want you to believe. I use one drain due to the extensive body work I do to reshape the whole body.

The likelihood of an infection or wound separation depends on your surgeon's meticulous technique, using of progressive tension sutures to minimize seromas and take the tension off the abdominoplasty closure to create a fine thin scar in the long run. It also depends on your diet, ability to move around from day one.

See a board certified plastic surgeon with extensive experience in advanced body sculpting techniques for an in person consultation/evaluation.

See the attached web reference.

Major wound healing problems are quite rare with a tummy tuck. Often they occur in smokers or if liposuction is done at the same time. Minor wound problems are more common but typically heal on their own,

Healthy people at their ideal weight should have the best overall recovery from a TT and lipo, but some of this will depend upon the surgical technique and adherence to postoperative protocols. Selection of a board certified PS who has performed hundreds of TTs, has great patient reviews, and hundreds of before and after photos on his/her website is key to a successful outcome.
The most frequently described postoperative complications of a TT are seroma, wound separation, and infection which are relatively minor in nature and do not require surgery. Skin necrosis, scar dehiscence, dog-ears, and above-scar fat folds may require revision.
One or two drains are placed after a standard TT. A standard operative abdominal binder provides compression to decrease seroma formation and maximize contouring results. It is imperative that the patient ambulate early and often after surgery to reduce complications including deep venous thrombosis (blood clots in legs) and pulmonary embolus (blood clot that travels to the lungs).

Hello, thanks for sharing your concerns. You are right that post-op is a very vital part of the procedure and that you must take care of avoiding complications. The good news is that you have control and you can prevent having problems. I suggest getting the information about the healing process and post-op care. Be sure that you will be fine following the surgeon's directions. Best luck!

Hello and thank you for your question. I understand your concern , the risk of infection and or dehiscence for any surgery, goes up if a patient is obese, a smoker,age, diabetic etc. The ideal patient is healthy, low BMI, active and a non smoker. There is always a risk but it's much less if this is the case.

There are several things that can be done to keep your risk for complications as low as possible. Number one is you want to select a board certified plastic surgeon with whom you feel comfortable and confident. Make sure that your procedure will be performed at an accredited surgery center or hospital. Eat a healthy balanced diet and continue regular exercise to prepare for surgery. Do not smoke. Proceed with surgery when BMI is 30 or under. Follow post op instructions and communicate with your surgeon about any concerns that arise.

A tummy tuck or abdominoplasty can have complications, but the complications can be minimized by certain protocols and techniques. A NO Drain, 24 hour rapid recovery, no narcotic tummy tuck has the least complications. This is because right after surgery, you are moving and doing exercises right after surgery. This almost completely eliminates the risk of a deep venous thrombosis and subsequent pulmonary embolism (DVT/PE). Not having a drain minimizes infection and helps with post-operative discomfort and the hassle of managing the drain or drains. The risk of other complications is minimal if you are not overweight and do not smoke or vape. These two factors are largely what contribute to wound healing issues.
If you chose a surgeon who utilizes a NO Drain, 24 hour rapid recovery, no narcotic tummy tuck protocol, you should do very well.
I have added a web reference for you as well as a patient testimonial on this protocol for you.
I hope that helps.
Best regards.

A tummy tuck is a big surgery and one of the riskiest in plastic surgery. Not because of wound dehiscence or infection, but because of DVT/PE. It is critical to choose a top plastic surgeon rather than price shopping for a bargain. It is also critical to be at your ideal weight so you bring the best chances for success to the process. You don't mention your height but 185 lbs sounds too high and you should commit to getting down before surgery following a surgeons guidelines. In the end, if your gut instinct stays frightened, don't do the surgery.