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Tummy Tuck and Liposuction. I Woke Up During My Procedure and It was Extremely Painful. Is That Normal?

I just had a tummy tuck done and I woke up in the middle of the surgery. Is that normal because it was very painful and they put me back to sleep and I woke up right when he was sewing me up. Can someone tell me if this is normal?

Doctor Answers 3

Waking Up during Tummy Tuck Surgery Normal?

April 16th, 2012
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I'm sorry to hear about the experience you've had during tummy tuck surgery. No, it is not “normal” to wake up during the procedure. Much of what you have experienced may depend on exactly what type of anesthesia was used and who provided it. I would suggest that you discuss this event with your plastic surgeon and/or anesthesiologist to rule out specific issues that may be present in your case. This may be helpful in preventing similar occurrences in the future.

Best wishes.

Web reference: http://www.poustiplasticsurgery.com/Procedures/Procedure_tummyTuck.htm

Tom J. Pousti, MD, FACS

General anesthesia and tummy tuck

April 15th, 2012
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I do not know what type of anesthesia that you had, but I commonly do it with general anesthesia, and this has never been  problem for me.

Steven Wallach, MD

Steven Wallach, MD
New York Plastic Surgeon
4.1 out of 5 stars 23 reviews

I woke up during my surgery!

April 14th, 2012
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For this reason and others, my choice is to perform abdominoplasty under general anesthesia.  Your situation must be carefully investigated with your anesthesiologist and surgeon.  Believe it or not, some patients have very vivid dreams that they were awake during portions of their procedure, when in fact, this was impossible based on the type of anesthesia administered.  If your procedure was performed under local anesthesia with sedation, then awareness during surgery is possible, although perhaps undesirable.

Web reference: http://www.feelbeautiful.com

Steve Laverson, MD

Steve Laverson, MD
San Diego Plastic Surgeon
4.9 out of 5 stars 44 reviews

These answers are for educational purposes and should not be relied upon as a substitute for medical advice you may receive from your physician. If you have a medical emergency, please call 911. These answers do not constitute or initiate a patient/doctor relationship.