Risks from operation

Although there are thousands of abdominoplasties performed successfully each year, a patient should be aware there are some risk associated with it.. The good thing is that post-operative complications such as infection and blood clots are rare, although they can occur. Infection can be treated with drainage and antibiotics, but it will prolong your hospital stay. The problem is that poor healing, which results in conspicuous scars, may necessitate a second operation. 

Specific complications of a tummy tuck are uncommon but can include:

• Numbness in the lower part of the tummy which often reduces over the next 6 to 12 months following the operation but can be permanent
• Poor healing, which results in noticeable scars, may mean you need more surgery
• Final position of the tummy button may be off-centre
• Bleeding can occur under the skin, causing the area to swell and become painful.This is called a haematoma. Sometimes it is necessary to return to theatre to stop the bleeding, remove the blood and help avoid infection

Other serious complications of tummy tuck operations are rare. They include the formation of fat or blood clots in the blood vessels, which can break off and move to the lungs. This is called a pulmonary embolism and can be life-threatening.

Getting back to normal

Although, most patients aren’t aware of this fact, the truth is that it may take you weeks or months to start feeling like your old self again. If you start out in top physical condition with strong abdominal muscles, recovery from abdominoplasty will be much faster. Some people return to work after two weeks, while others take three or four weeks to rest and recuperate.

The important thing to know is that exercise will help you heal better. Even people who have never exercised before should begin an exercise program to reduce the swelling, lower the chance of blood clots, and tone the muscles. It may take nine months to a year before your scars flatten out and lighten in color, although the fact is that they'll never disappear completely. Abdominal scars will not show under most clothing, even under bathing suits.

What are the alternatives?

For some people, an alternative is liposuction, where fat is sucked out through small holes in the skin. Liposuction involves the use of an instrument known as a cannula for removing unwanted fat from a specific area. Liposuction can be performed on

• the abdomen area
• the flanks
• the hip area
• the buttocks
• the inner and outer thighs
• above the knees
• in the upper arms
• under the chin and neck area