ABDOMINOPLASTY - SPECIFIC SURGICAL RISKS

DESCRIPTION                   

q      INTRODUCTION:  Abdominoplasty is a surgical procedure to remove excess skin and fatty tissue from the middle and lower abdomen and to tighten muscles of the abdominal wall. Abdominoplasty is not a surgical treatment for being overweight. Obese individuals who intend to lose weight should postpone all forms of body contouring until they have been able to maintain their weight loss.

q      There are a variety of different techniques used for abdominoplasty. Abdominoplasty can be combined with other forms of body contouring surgery including liposuction or performed at the same time with other elective surgeries.

RISKS

q      CHANGE IN SKIN SENSATION:  Diminished, or loss of, skin sensation in the lower abdominal area may not totally resolve following abdominoplasty.

q      SKIN CONTOUR IRREGULARITIES:  Contour irregularities and depressions may occur after abdominoplasty. Visible and palpable wrinkling of the skin can occur.

q      ASYMMETRY:  Symmetrical body appearance may not result from abdominoplasty. Factors such as skin tone, fatty deposits, prominence, and muscle tone may contribute to normal asymmetry of the body features.

q      DELAYED HEALING:  Wound disruption or delayed wound healing is possible. Some areas of the abdomen may not heal normally and may take a long time to heal. Some of the areas of skin may die. This may require frequent dressing changes or further surgery to remove the non-healed tissue. Smokers have a greater risk of skin loss and wound healing complications.

q      PULMONARY COMPLICATIONS:  Pulmonary complications may occur secondarily to both blood clots (pulmonary emboli) or partial collapse of the lungs after general anesthesia. Should either of these complications occur, you might require hospitalizations and additional treatment. Pulmonary emboli can be life threatening or fatal in some circumstances.

q      SEROMA:  Fluid accumulations infrequently occur in between the skin and the abdominal wall. Should this problem occur, it may require additional procedures for fluid drainage.

q      UMBILICUS: Malposition, scarring, unacceptable appearance of loss of the umbilicus (navel) may occur.

q      LONG TERM EFFECTS:  Subsequent alterations in the body contour may occur as the result of aging, weight loss or gain, pregnancy or other circumstances related to abdominoplasty.

q      PAIN:  Chronic pain may occur very infrequently from nerves becoming trapped in the scar tissue after abdominoplasty.

q      OTHER:  You may be disappointed with the results of the surgery. Infrequently, it is necessary to perform additional surgery to improve the results.

q      ALTERNATIVE TREATMENTS:  Alternative forms of management consist of not treating the area of loose skin and fatty deposits. Suction assisted lipectomy may be an alternative for abdominoplasty if there is good skin tone and localized abdominal fatty deposits in an individual of normal weight. Diet and exercise programs may be beneficial in the overall reduction of excess body fat.

Risks and potential complications are associated with alternative forms of treatment that involve surgery.