Okay for a General Surgeon to Perform Tummy Tuck?

If you live in a small town in which there are no board certified plastic surgeons, then it might be appropriate., certainly better than going to a dermatologist, otolaryngologist, or any other physician untrained in plastic surgery yet willing to give it a try.
Afterall, in underserved communities family practice doctors deliver babies, set fractures, and treat heart patients. But in modern, first-world communities, orthopedic surgeons fix the fractures, obstetricians deliver the babies, pediatricians treat the chidren, and cardiologists treat the heart problems.
So a general surgeon should technically be able to carry out the procedure, but without the care and understanding of nuance, aesthetics, modern techniques, and assessing the aesthetics of the entire trunk.
So, if you live in an underserved medical community, go to the general surgeon. If you live in a modern city, go a plastic surgeon, but just for fun, ask yourself why a general surgeon in a big city would dabble with something over their head. Does that worry you about his or her character? It should.
And when I say "plastic surgeon," let me be more specific. Anyone can call themselves a plastic surgeon, including your general surgery friend. But only someone certified by "The American Board of Plastic Surgery" is considered a bonafide plastic surgeon, and that is the qualification upon what you must insist. And if you want to take it to an even higher level, be sure that the surgeon is a member of The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. Those surgeons are all ABPS certified and have a special interest and higher level of experience specifically in aesthetic surgery.

Thank you for your question regarding whether it's okay to have a tummy tuck performed by a general surgeon during an abdominal hernia repair, especially for a 65-year-old woman who has had complications from previous surgery.

While it's technically possible for a general surgeon to perform a tummy tuck, I would strongly advise going to someone who is trained and specialized in plastic surgery. A board-certified plastic surgeon has specific training in aesthetic aspects of surgery, which is crucial for procedures like a tummy tuck that require not only technical expertise but also an artistic sense to achieve the best cosmetic results.

Board-certified plastic surgeons are also trained to manage complications and nuances that can arise from combining cosmetic procedures with functional surgeries like hernia repair, especially in patients with complex medical histories. Given the previous complications and the extended healing issues your mentioned patient has experienced, the selection of a surgeon who specializes in plastic surgery becomes even more critical to ensure the best outcome and minimize potential risks.

For a 65-year-old woman, especially one with a history of healing complications, thorough preoperative evaluation and optimization are essential. A plastic surgeon would typically conduct a comprehensive assessment to determine suitability for surgery, considering all health factors and previous surgical history to plan the safest approach.

Choosing a board-certified plastic surgeon ensures that you are in the hands of a professional who has undergone rigorous exams and meets high standards in both safety and ethical practices in surgery.

Sincerely,
Dr. Katzen

Abdominoplasty procedures are designed to remove infraumbilical skin and fat; and to tighten the anterior abdominal wall musculature. Patients should always undergo these procedures with a well qualified plastic surgeon who is board certified.
In more complicated abdominal reconstructions, cooperation between and general surgeon and a plastic surgeon is sought to correct abdominal wall hernias and acheive a cosmetically acceptable result. This cooperation between specialities is important in minimizing risk of hernia recurrence and optimizing tissue dynamics to acheive a more acceptable abdominal contour.

In general, the answer is always "No" to this question, but this particular case sounds even more complicated than most. My recommendation is to seek out a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon in your area to evaluate you to see if you are even a candidate for a tummy tuck at this time. He or she may then decide to perform the procedure at the time of the hernia repair, or more likely, delay it and perform it as a separate procedure once the hernia repair has healed (6 months or so later).

Not a good idea. You have already had multiple issues and heading down the path of having further issues to come. I am a board certified general surgeon as well as a board certified plastic surgeon. I can manage both issues as far as dealing with complicated hernia issues and abdominoplasty. However, I would have never thought about doing a tummy tuck when I was a general surgery. It goes beyond the technical aspects.
BE CAREFUL!!!!
If you want to have everything done at the same time, it is very feasible to find a plastic surgeon that would work jointly with the general surgeon or find a plastic surgeon that is also board certified general surgeon to deal with the hernia and then do your tummy tuck.

Hi there-
During the many years we spend completing residency training in Plastic Surgery, preparing for and passing our Board Certification exams (written and oral), and in practice, we plastic surgeons learn many important details of skin and soft tissue surgery, wound healing, skin and soft tissue anatomy, fine suturing techniques, and the geometry of the beautiful body.
This high level of understanding of these important details is brought to bear to your advantage when you seek out a surgeon Board Certified by The American Board of Plastic Surgery. Someone who has not completed the many years of training in plastic surgery described above will simply not have the same knowledge and skills available to you.
Do I think there is a general surgeon in the world who could complete an operation and call it a "tummy tuck"? Yes.
Do I believe that someone with general surgery training could perform a tummy tuck as safely as I and with the same level of improvement to a beautiful and natural appearance? Absolutely not.
There will always be opportunities in life to save money- you need to be very careful that you understand that in this instance attempting to do so may compromise your safety or the chance for you to look your best.

I am a plastic surgeon who first became board certified in general surgery at a top program. I would never have performed a tummy tuck as a general surgeon nor would any of my attendings.
Plastic surgery training is where a surgeon learns how to do the tough cases and deal with the complications.

Some general surgeons may do an adequate job on an abdominoplasty, but it is not in there specific area of expertise. I would sugest that you seek out a board certified Plastic Surgeon  for cosmetic surgery.

Only go to doctors who practice within the scope of their training. 
A weekend course or reading about it in a book is not a replacement for years of training.

Hello
We are all trained to specialize in an area. Board certified plastic surgeons are best at tummy tucks and I would keep it that way. One would never expect a plastic surgeon to take out a gallbladder and one should not expect a general surgeon to do an abdominoplasty, especially a complicated one like you describe.