Can I have a tummy tuck without hernia repair first?

Why not do both the hernia repair and the tummy tuck at the same time? It would certainly save you from having two separate recoveries. Most experienced Plastic surgeons who perform tummy tucks should be able to repair the hernia, or get a general surgeon to help. Good luck.

Dear Antonia,  There is no need for you to have hernia repair before the tummy tuck.  Doing the hernia repair before the tummy tuck will result in an unattractive scar in the middle of your abdomen , or if you do it endoscopically, it might result in intra abdominal complication. Epigastric hernia or umbilical hernia are quite common due to the muscle streching during the pregnancy that can create a hole in the wall. It is part of the tummy tuck since the hernia is completely exposed during the skin elevation and the herniated fat is easily removed followed by closure of the hole.  The tummy tuck is completed in the usual fashion. Consult with board certified plastic surgeons and check their before and after pictures to make sure that you like the results.                Best of luck,                                     Dr Widder

If you have a hernia, it can easily be repaired at the same time as the tummytuck. This is the way most surgeons would address these issues. Talk with your surgeon. It will save you from having an additional scar from the hernia repair which can be performed though the tummytuck incision.

Without knowing more about your situation it is impossible to answer this question.  In most cases, I repair the hernia at the time of tummy tuck since there is no added incision and the dissection to perform the operation is essentially already done to perform the tummy tuck.  However, not all surgeons are comfortable treating hernias and you may want to make sure that you are seeing a board certified plastic surgeon that is also board certified in general surgery and feels comfortable repairing a hernia at the same time.  Alternatively, you could have two surgeons work at the same time (a plastic surgeon and a general surgeon) or do as two separate operations.  However, in most cases, I don't understand separating into two separate procedures with two anesthesias and two recoveries.  Good Luck.  

Do them together.  It can be fixed at the time of the abdominoplasty.   If it is a large, incarcerated or an otherwise difficult hernia, it may change a bit of what is done to fix it, but this can be determined beforehand by the nature of the hernia on physical examination.  

I tell my patients to get it fixed at time of abdominoplasty. It would be horrible to have a flat tummy only to have a big scar added later on, and worse to develop an incarcerated hernia and need immediate surgery later on. Consult with a general surgeon if you are unsure. Best of luck to you. 

There are several advantages of having a tummy tuck and a hernia repair at the same time.A traditional hernia repair makes an incision right above the hernia. A tummy tuck approach will use a horizontal scar and elevates the tissues above the hernia. So you do not have an additional scar to repair the hernia.You only have one recovery, from a combined hernia repair and tummy tuck. If you were to separate the two procedures, then you would have to budget two time periods to recover from the two procedures at two separate times.A traditional tummy tuck elevates the tissue right above the hernia. Not repairing it could also result in problems. You are elevating the soft tissue above the abdominal wall, thereby potentially making the hernia even worse.   If it is important for you to separate the hernia repair from the tummy tuck procedure, then it makes sense to do the hernia repair first.   However this would still require a vertical incision over the hernia site that may be lowered during a subsequent tummy tuck procedure, but not fully excised.

The short answer is yes you can, but it would make sense to repair the hernia at the same time if it is something you notice or it bothers you.While not all hernias need or require repair most board certified plastic surgeons have the ability to repair these at the time of tummy tuck provided you are an appropriate candidate.In my own practice when a patient brings  a hernia to my attention, or it is readily visible we will generally repair it. Very small umbilical hernias do not necessarily require repair.Have your plastic surgeon evaluate you to see if you can do both at the same time.Best wishes

Thank you for the question.I do suggest for you to have a hernia repair and the tummy tuck on the same day, this will be easier for you in regards to recovery as well as money wise.

If you already have a known hernia and you desire a tummy tuck, the best option is to fix the hernia when you are under anesthesia for the tummy tuck.  Insurance will usually pay for the hernia repair as long as they are not paying for the time involved for and for the tummy tuck.An option is to perform the hernia repair first, but this could create additional scarring. When performing the tummy tuck, the surgeon lifts up the entire skin over the muscles, and the hernia can easily be repaired with the skin lifted with no additional scar except around the belly button.If it is a belly button (umbilical) hernia, it can also be repaired during a tummy tuck.To perform a tummy tuck and later the umbilical or other hernia does not seem logical.