Complications - Sepsis from Tummy Tuck?

Sepsis,  an infection which has spread into the blood is very rare after tummy tuck.  Some patients do develop small areas of infection along the incision line which are minor and easily treated.  The prevention of infection with tummy tuck should start the morning of surgery, with the patient showering and avoiding putting anything on the skin until seen by the surgeon.  The patients skin is then prepped at surgery and draped sterily.  A dose of IV antibiotics is given and the surgery is done with sterile technique.  Some doctors will give post operative antibiotics and some not.  These basic steps make infections with tummy tucks a rare occurrence.

Never heard of sepsis from a TT, but anything is possible.  We use antibiotics prophylactically and your plastic surgeon probably will as well.  Good luck.

Sepsis is a rare and vary serious progression of the more common infections that can occur. The risk of this is extremely low Reducing the risk of infections with surgery is a goal for all Plastic Surgeons and requires a pro-active approach by the Surgeon and the patient. The use of antibiotics in the operating room is common practice and each Surgeon will have their own approach to antibiotic use after surgery. Patients that are in optimal health prior to surgery will have a lower risk of complications as well. For example, excess body weight, smoking, diabetes, prolonged anesthetic times and multiple procedures being done at once have all been associated with a higher risk of infection. A comprehensive approach is needed and you should feel free to ask your Surgeon about what steps are taken to reduce your risk of an infection.

Dr. Mosher

Sepsis after a tummy tuck would be a devastating complication. Fortunately, sepsis after any surgical procedure is exceedingly rare. Small, focal wound infections and delayed wound healing do occur with some frequency after a tummy tuck- but these problems are very minor and self-correct.

Sepsis, or overwhelming infection, is extremely rare in any plastic surgery operation. Including Tummy tucks. I have seen two cases from Mexico, but fortunately not any from the US. We use Intravenous and oral antibiotics to prevent postoperative infection, and fortunately the incidence of infection in our operating rooms is less than 0.2 percent. Good Luck

Dear Mommy,

Sepsis, also known as blood poisoning, after a tummy tuck is very unusual. Sepsis implies a severe systemic infection that requires hospitalization and intravenous antibiotics; and is fortunately uncommon with tummy tucks. A tummy tuck is technically categorized as a clean operation that only addresses skin, fat and the underlying rectus muscles.. The procedure is done using sterile technique, sterile instruments and antibiotics. A Board Certified Plastic Surgeon is competent to perform this procedure. I recommend that you schedule a consultation with one to clarify any additional questions that you may have.

Richard W. Swift, M.D., NYC

As stated by most reviewers sepsis after a Tummy Tuck (TT) is very rare.  Sepsis means an infection out of control spreading through the blood or systemic infection.  In order to have sepsis in an otherwise healthy patient after a TT, the patient must have a wound infection that is left unattended for some time and as it progreses it eventually enters the blood stream and becomes systemic which is a very unlikely situation.  Having said that, wound infections in abdominoplasties are not infrequent.  One way to reduce the frequency of infections is to use antibiotic prophylaxis.  The current recommendation for that is to start intravenous antibiotics 30 minutes before the start of surgery and repeating them every 4 to 6 hours during the case.  (A TT alone wouldn't take that long but other procedures could be done at the same time) And maybe repeat it again if the patient stays overnight like I do.  This is called antibiotic prophylaxis but even this will not prevent infections 100% of the time.  If an infection developes then quick and expedient treatment will prevent the spread of infection and therefore sepsis.

If by MR you mean Mitral Regurgitation then your concerns are valid.  Valvular disease of the heart makes them susceptible to acquire infections from the blood stream and when that happens it becomes a Bacterial Endocarditis which is a serious heath problem.  That is why patients with valvular disease and or artificial valves should take antibiotic prophylaxis even if they go to the dentist because some procedures and operations can cause temporary showers of bacteria in the blood stream that normal or healthy people can easily tolerate but a in patient with valvular disease could be very risky.

I will make an assumption that MR means muscle repair.  The chances of infection should probably be no more than without muscle repair.  A localized infection at the incision line is not unheard of and the chances are probably in the one to a few percent range.  Sepsis which is a significant blood infection making you sick all over is very rare.

Antibiotics may be given at surgery, but even doing that and continuing with them after surgery cannot guarentee that you will not have a problem.

The other thing you could mean with MR is MRSA which is a multi drug resistant bacteria. Giving special antibiotics may help decrease this risk, but just like above there is no way to ultimately say it could not happen.

Yes,  intra operative IV antibiotics are the standard of care in USA. From MIAMI Dr. Darryl j. Blinski

Regarding: "Complications - Sepsis from Tummy Tuck?
How Likely is Sepsis from Tummy Tuck with MR? And What Can Be Done to Prevent It from Happening? I was wondering if there are prevenative steps that can be taken in order to prevent sepsis? For example are antibiotics given during and after surgery and if they are will that ensure not getting it?"

Your question reminds me of my colleagues and I as Second Year Medical Students when we realized how vulnerable humans really were and we would examine ourselves with trepidation after learning each disease process. In reality, your likelihood to have sepsis (wide spread infection) from a Tummy Tuck are extremely low.

Mitral regurgitation MAY be associated with permanent scarring of the mitral heart valve which MAY make it easier for bacteria in the blood stream to attach to it and slowly weaken and destroy in (Bacterial Endocarditis). Any process which releases a lot of germs into the blood stream (serious infection, urinary tract infection, dental work etc) can in theory cause bacteria to adhere to the valve leaflets. For this reason, it used to be recommended (recommendations change all the time) that patients with MR consider taking a tablet of  Penicillin before having dental work done.

A Tummy Tuck is a "clean" case where no bacteria are release. Most surgeons use antibiotics before and after the surgery to lower the risk of infection. As such the Tummy Tuck surgery is VERY UNLIKELY to seed your valve. In the very rare case of a wound infection associated with sepsis only then would a Tummy Tuck pose a potential threat but no more than all other operations.

Dr. Peter Aldea