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Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty) Potential Complications
This is a routine operation that is a great success for the vast majority of patients. However, it is very important you understand what can go wrong as well as right with an operation. With abdominoplasty the potential problems are listed.
Loss of skin: This is rare and usually occurs if a surgeon takes away too much tissue making closure too tight or by operating on a patient with high risk factors for this problem. Those factors are smoking, obesity and diabetes. It can happen in some patients that are low risk but it is very rare. If occurs the wounds can take many weeks to heal and the final scar is of poorer quality.
Scars: Patients vary in the quality of scars they produce.
Seroma: This is a collection of body fluid under the skin. It presents as a firm mass and needs a needle aspiration to solve.
Bleeding: A blood clot can collect in the abdomen needing you to go back to theatre for its removal. If to occur this will be within the first 24 hours. Occurs in approximately 1%.
Infection: Very uncommon but if occurs you may need a course of antibiotics
Pain: A small group of patients have a lot of pain from the muscle tightening that can persists for a number of weeks.
Loss of sensation: The area just above the scar in the midline can have altered or absent sensation.
Pulling up of pubic hair and groin area: The pubic hair, mons and vagina can all be pulled to a small degree if closure is tight. This tends to resolve over subsequent weeks as tissues settle and soften.
Blood clots to legs and lung (DVT and PE): Although still rare it is important to avoid these by not smoking, being excessively overweight and moving about after surgery as soon as possible.
