Tummy tuck with previous mesh hernia repair. Would this prevent the surgeon from being able to perform a muscle repair?

You can have any divarication or split between the muscles repaired with the mesh in situ or the mesh can be replaced depending on the findings during the operation.

For optimal outcome, please consult a fully qualified plastic surgeon, who has specialist qualification in plastic surgery 'FRCS Plast' after having being trained adequately in the field of plastic surgery, is registered on the 'Specialist register for Plastic surgery' with the General Medical Council and has been considered competent enough to be a member of the 'BAPRAS' (British Association of Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons) and 'BAAPS' (British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons) at the least.

Hi Karald, You should be able to have a tummy tuck and muscle repair in the presence of an old mesh but your surgeon should have good experience dealing with hernias and meshes as he/she may need to remove or replace this mesh during the surgery. I wish you all the best.

Your question implies that you have significant separation of your abdominal wall musculature - you have had a ventral hernia repair 6 years ago and you have had multiple pregnancies with one of them with polyhydramnios. It is very likely that you have excess skin and fat that you would benefit from having removed. In the process of a full TT the separation of your abdominal wall is folded in on itself (imbricated) to allow the restoration of the wall shape. It is not uncommon to imbricate 6-8 cm. It is possible (probable) that the ventral hernia patch will be fully 'buried' in the imbrication. The overall abdominal wall restoration is a very, very strong closure, and I would expect that this would be very helpful. I would recommend discussion with your board certified plastic surgeon to review your history and plan for the operation. Best of luck! Jules A Feledy, Jr, MD American Board of Plastic Surgery, American Society of Plastic Surgery

The technique I recommend is abdominoplasty with mesh reinforcement, if you are not planning future pregnancies. The mesh creates a more hourglass figure by compressing the abdominal wall resulting in early satiety and helps maintain a reduced weight. This overlays a large piece of mesh, approximately 20 x 30 cm over the entire lower abdominal wall, which will reinforce your previous hernia repair and also reinforce the strength of your muscles.

Best Wishes,

Gary Horndeski, M.D.

It sounds from the description that the mesh is a small piece and even if this is thickened and scarred it can be removed fairly easily and the abdominal muscles imbricated or folded in to tighten them.

Thank you for the question. Your previous surgery should not interfere with a tummy tuck. I wish you the best of luck. Vasileios Vasilakis, MD. Double board-certified, fellowship-trained plastic surgeon, Houston. TX.

Thank you for sharing your question. This should not impact your surgeon's ability to complete a full tummy tuck procedure including muscle repair.

Your previous hernia repair will not get in the way of the tummy tuck. Much will depend on what the surgeon finds at the time of surgery. The mesh can either be left where it is or removed depending on the situation. I don't think it will present a difficult dilemma for the surgeon.

Dear karald,
it is hard to tell for sure without an examination. Generally speaking, it is possible to get tummy tuck after hernia repair using mesh. 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

It will be a trickier dissection for the surgeon due to the scarring present but, with care, it should be fine to perform muscle repair if the mesh is that small