4 Weeks Post-op Tummy Tuck, Dark, Hard Area on Incision Line, Normal? (photo)

Thanks for your question and the picture.  I believe you have a small loss of skin that should heal on its own with daily dressing care.  It may get slighly deeper before it heals.

This area appears to be an area of necrosis ( or dead tissue) that looks to have resulted from too much tension and/ or poor blood flow.  One concern I would have is if you are smoking.  This can SEVERELY negatively affect your ability to heal properly. It is difficult to tell how deep this area extends. One way to tell is to take off the scab/ dark necrotic area. Then local dressing changes should hopefully allow this to heal in, IF you are not exposed to smoke or nicotine of any form ( this decreases the blood flow ). I'd recommend following up with your board certified plastic surgeon. Good luck!

 

This is an area of wound breakdown and necrosis.  This is small and will probably heal fine with time.  It is important to keep it clean.  If it becomes infected it becomes a bigger issue and may require debridement and "packing" or dressing changes.  I don's see any evidence of this now, but that is the reason to follow your plastic surgeon's recommendations closely until it is totally healed. 

You have suffered skin necrosis of the lower incision. This is usually accompanied by induration and loss of fat underneath and around. It should heal with local care but more than likely a revision of the scar under local anesthesia will be required once the tissues loosen up. Contine the local care.

The photo posted demonstrates early wound separation with skin/fat necrosis. seek immediate care on a 2 times a week visit. 

Thanks for adding the photo. 

This is a small area of skin loss (necrosis) and should be self limited. In other works, at a month out this is not likely to get worse. At some time that dark scab will fall off and it will probably be healed underneath. If not, it will heal.  After several months, chances are that this will look no different than the rest of the scar, but it will be a month or two behind schedule compared to the rest of the scar. 

The other treatment alternative would be to remove the dark dried out non-viable tissue and change the dressing care, but I think what was suggested is appropriate.

Best wishes. 

 

 

 

Thank you for the pictures, it looks to be necrotic tissue (dead skin) something like this is caused due to low blood circulation. This can happen in tummy tuck cases. Being that your 4 weeks out it doesn’t seem like it will get worst. Make sure you listen to your PS instructions every practice is different.

 

The darker area in the middle of the abdominal incision has poor circulation and the term for this dark area is called an eschar.  The scab(eschar) will either come off with daily dressing changes or will need to be trimmed off by your Plastic Surgeon.  Once the scab has been removed the wound will heal up a little more quickly.  Ask your Plastic Surgeon about this and follow his or her recommendations

 

Good luck to you.

 

Frank Rieger M.D.  Tampa Plastic Surgeon

You have a small area of necrosis in the most sensitive part of your tummy tuck wound.  This area will heal on its own over a few weeks to months.  Proper care involves gentle washing and coverage with a dry dressing.  If you experience any spreading redness or increasing drainage you may need antibiotics.  The worst case scenario is that you might need a minor scar revision when all is said and done.

 

This is not uncommon after this type of procedure.  If you are relatively comfortable make an appointment to see your surgeon monthly until you heal and keep in touch by phone between visits.