Would a tummy tuck affect a future gall bladder surgery or other abdominal surgeries? (Photo)

Hello, and thank you for your question about what is the impact of a tummy tuck on future gallbladder surgery or other abdominal surgeries. Thank you for your history and your picture. Thank you for your interesting question. If you are having frequent gallbladder issues, I suggest you consult with a general surgeon. You and your general surgeon should decide on either an elective removal. Most general surgeons suggest you postpone the surgery gallbladder surgery until you develop symptoms. Like any surgery, gall bladder surgery does have risks. Likewise gall gallstone pain, an infected gallbladder, and gallbladder rupture are complications that can be avoided or minimized with gallbladder removal. During an abdominoplasty (tummy tuck), the rectus abdominis muscle is sutured from the sternum to the pubic region. This maneuver tightens the core of the abdomen and correct rectus diastasis or diastasis recti. Muscle tightening increases the abdominal core tone and provides a structural foundation to the entire abdominal region. The rectus muscle tightening constricts the anterior abdominal cavity. The abdominal cavity is called the peritoneal cavity. The peritoneal cavity is the cavity that houses your visceral organs, such as your liver, gallbladder, small bowel, and appendix. During a laparoscopic cholecystectomy (gall bladder removal), multiple trocars are placed inside the peritoneal cavity. The perineal cavity is then inflated to allow visualization of the gallbladder. During the inflation of the peritoneal cavity, it may be more difficult to inflate the peritoneal cavity if the rectus muscle has been tightened during a tummy tuck.
In addition, many general surgeons can remove the appendix with a laparoscopic appendectomy. However, most general surgeons would not suggest an elective appendectomy. During abdominal surgery after a car wreck or motor vehicle accident usually laparoscopic procedures are usually not involved. Usually, an incision is made from the sternum to the pubic region. This is called an exploratory laparotomy. For the general surgeon or trauma surgeon to perform an exploratory laparotomy, several minutes would be required to cut the sutures that were used to repair the rectus muscle. However, it would not be difficult; it would just delay the emergency surgery. What would concern most plastic surgeons is if you were having recurrent gallbladder symptoms and, in the postoperative period, you developed a gallbladder attack. As you know, this would cause abdominal pain. It may be difficult to diagnose whether you are having gallbladder pain or pain associated with your tummy tuck. Therefore, as mentioned before, most plastic surgeons would suggest you consult with a general surgeon about your gallbladder concerning elective removal before your tummy tuck. All in all, millions of tummy tucks have been performed in patients with a history of cholecystitis or gallbladder issues and an intact appendix. In addition, almost all patients do not undergo elective cholecystectomy and appendectomy before undergoing an abdominoplasty, unless symptoms are severe. Good luck. I hope I’ve answered your question regarding the impact of a tummy tuck on future gallbladder surgery and other abdominal surgery. If you have any more questions regarding tummy tucks, abdominoplasties, or abdominal liposuction, contact an experienced plastic surgeon. Since the tummy tuck surgery is a big procedure, please seek an experienced, board-certified plastic surgeon with significant experience in performing tummy tucks. Do your research. If you cannot find an experienced tummy tuck plastic surgeon in your neighborhood, consider traveling out of state. Sincerely, Dr. Katzen, MD, MBA, FACS, FICS. ( Plastic Surgeon, President of the American Society of Bariatric Surgeons, certified by the American Board of Plastic surgery, Fellow of the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic surgery, American College of surgery, and International College of surgery and member of the American Society of Plastic surgery, American Academy of Cosmetic surgery, RealSelf Hall of Fame, and RealSelf Doctor Advisory Board for Medical Review and Consumer Panel.)

Having an abdominoplasty should not affect your ability to have future abdominal procedures. The reverse is sometimes true. The presence of large scars on the abdomen may make a procedure such as a tummy tuck more challenging.

Having a tummy tuck can have an impact on future surgeries. During a tummy tuck, most patients get muscle wall repair. That is accomplished by tightening the six-pack muscles in the midline of the abdomen – that’s what helps achieve the “flat tummy” appearance.
Most cholecystectomy (gallbladder) surgeries are performed laparoscopically through 3-4 small incisions on the abdomen. In order to perform that surgery, the intraperitoneal cavity needs to be filled with air so that the surgeon has room to see and space to work with the camera and laparoscopic equipment. Tightening the muscles with a tummy tuck will reduce the laxity of the abdominal cavity, which could potentially limit how much the intraperitoneal space can be filled with air. So having a tummy tuck beforehand might make a gallbladder surgery a little more challenging, but not impossible.
Since most appendectomies are also performed laparoscopically, I would say that the say that the same principles hold true for this type of surgery.
For any surgery that requires a laparotomy incision (incision through the middle of the abdomen), cutting through the muscle wall repair could compromise that aspect of the surgery. That could lead to a protrusion of the abdominal wall in the center of the abdomen and could even lead to a hernia at that location. That being said, saving someone’s life with an exploratory laparotomy is obviously more important than preserving an aesthetic result.
In the case of a RUPTURED appendix, there’s a higher chance that the surgeon may need to either start with or convert to an open surgery. In that case, the surgeon would use a laparotomy incision, which would likely compromise the muscle wall repair that has been performed previously.

A tummy tuck will not affect any other future abdominal surgeries. The only downside is future scars in your flat tummy.

It is not generally considered an extra risk to have the surgeries you mentioned, and even others, if you have had a tummy tuck. It seems you could go ahead with your tummy tuck safely. If a general surgeon has been involved with your gallbladder problems, it may be a good idea to run it by them so everybody is on board.

You could have your tummy tuck done and future surgeries could be done. Elective gall bladder removal is usually performed endoscopically so you would have several small incisions on your abdomen that the endoscopic equipment is inserted through. One option is to see if your plastic surgeon could coordinate with a general surgeon, so your gall bladder is removed during your tummy tuck. Your abdominal skin will be elevated so the general surgeon has easy access and no future incisions in your skin would be needed. Both procedures and only 1 recovery. Whether you would need incisions in your abdominal skin in the future, such as after a car accident, etc, would depend on what would need to be done and what was safest for you. That said, your abdominal skin would be fine if midline incisions were used. Best wishes.

Thank you for your question. A tummy tuck with rectus plication does not prevent future abdominal surgery. If you have symptomatic gallbladder disease, it’s safest to treat that first with a general surgeon and a laparoscopic cholecystectomy if preferred, then proceed with your tummy tuck after recovery. If you do the tummy tuck first, later laparoscopic cases (cholecystectomy, appendectomy) are still feasible using alternative entry sites (e.g., left upper quadrant/Palmer’s point). Liposuction isn’t mandatory for safety but adding it to the flanks (if desired) won’t change future surgical options. Modest weight fluctuations won’t create problems; the key risks are in the early months after abdominoplasty. Given your intermittent RUQ ache and prior attacks, arrange evaluation with a board-certified general surgeon before scheduling the abdominoplasty, and have an in-person examination with a board-certified surgeon to coordinate timing, confirm that rectus repair and scar placement won’t hinder future access, and document a plan for any subsequent abdominal procedures.

It is understandable to wonder how a tummy tuck with muscle repair might relate to possible abdominal procedures in the future. In general, a previous tummy tuck does not prevent other abdominal surgeries from being performed if they are ever needed. What it may change is how another surgeon plans the incisions or gains access. In some cases the cosmetic result can be affected, but this does not interfere with the safety or feasibility of necessary operations.
I have also shared a detailed video where I explain this process and show examples of different healing patterns and incision types, which may help you better understand what to expect.
— Güray Yesiladali, MD

A tummy tuck targets muscles, fat and skin, so there should be no impact on future gall bladder surgery.

Dear 16huck,

based on your photos, you look like a good candidate for a TT. Full tummy tuck should tighten your abdominal muscles and remove the excess skin. Flanks liposuction would give you a better shape. It won't affect your future abdominal surgeries. I would suggest you to consult a board-certified plastic surgeon because 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