Abdominoplasty (Tummy Tuck) - Risks and complications

All operations carry risks. A surgical complication is defined as any undesirable result of surgery. A few of the more common problems are listed below. This list is intended to inform rather than alarm you, and it does not cover everything that can go wrong but the more common problems.

A minor complication has little risk to the patient's life. The causes for minor complications include unpredictable factors such as a patient's wound healing ability, failure to follow instructions, or just bad luck such as an unexpected allergic reaction to a drug. Ultimately any result that produces an unhappy patient is a complication.

•  Scars: The scars that follow an abdominoplasty are covered by normal clothing. However, they are not invisible and can become prominent and unsightly.

•  Changes in appearance: Your umbilicus (belly button) will be a different shape to that before the operation. Your pubic hairline is often slightly higher after the operation.

•  Numbness: After the operation, the abdominal skin will feel numb but usually this improves after six months or so. Very rarely, there can also be numbness on the outer side of your thighs, and sometimes this is permanent.

•  Seroma and haematoma : In rare cases, despite the use of drains, body fluid (seroma) or blood clots can build up underneath the skin. Often we will need to treat this, sometimes using just a needle and syringe, or by a small second operation.

•  Infection and Wound breakdown: There is a small risk of infection of the wound, which may lead to breakdown of the area, and may prolong your hospital stay, and necessitate further treatment, including additional surgery. This is much more likely in smokers, which is why you should stop smoking at least ten days before and after the operation.

•  Deep vein thrombosis (DVT): There is a risk of DVT (blood clots forming in the leg veins) after this operation. This serious complication is less likely if you are up and walking as early as possible after your operation and if you wear special support stockings during the operation and in the early post-operative phase, while you are confined to bed (you will be provided with these). Again, this risk is greater with smoking and the oral contraceptive pill.