Tummy Tuck Troubles- Several Reasons Not To Have One
December 4th, 2008

Cosmetics and Surgery Beauty Minerals

"Do NOT have any cosmetic surgery without first reading this"

A tummy tuck can greatly improve upon the appearance of the abdomen for both men and women however there are several reasons not to have one. There can be side effects from having tummy tuck surgery that are just temporary and not likely to lead to further problems. Some patients find themselves sick to their stomach after the surgery as a direct result of the general anesthetic that is used. It all depends on the person. Swelling is to be expected and for some patients it could take up to a month or more for the abdomen to return to its normal size.

There are certain complications resulting from a tummy tuck that although are not extremely common, might be reason enough to decide to avoid the surgery. Talk to your family doctor and/or plastic surgeon to see if it is possible that he/she can predict whether or not you are a likely candidate for serious complications. Numbness in the abdominal area is likely after surgery and it can take anywhere from 6 to 12 months to dissipate, however for a select group of people the numbness can become permanent. Poor healing of the abdominal area can lead to very obvious, unsightly scars, which would require the patient to need to go under the knife again.

If you are a smoker, are overweight and very out of shape, have poor health habits and/or have diabetes that is not under control your chances for complications go up considerably which renders you a poor candidate for this surgical procedure. This surgery is best for women to have after they have finished having children, not at the onset of their childbearing years nor in between children. The efforts of surgery will be in vain if having another child is in the works.

Individuals who need to lose a great deal of weight will be well advised to avoid having an abdominoplasty, at least until at which time the excess weight is gone from their abdominal area. This operation provides the most successful results for healthy people who have achieved a normal weight. A further reason not to have a tummy tuck is if you have visible scars from past abdominal surgeries (for example, stomach stapling, appendectomy, hernia operation, etc.). An abdominoplasty produces scars of its own which could only add to the unsightliness of previous scarring.

Many women are not aware of the fact that tissue from their abdomen can be used for future breast reconstruction in the event that they are diagnosed with breast cancer. But having a tummy tuck makes it impossible for the tissue to be used for this purpose. No one can predict who will get cancer and the hope is that it will never happen but it is a worthwhile piece of information to bear in mind. If a mastectomy is necessary down the line you might be glad that you did not have an abdominoplasty although there are certainly other options for the reconstruction of breast tissue.

Those with an excessively thick layer of fat in their upper abdominal area would be ill advised to consider a tummy tuck as the surgery will not achieve for the patient the desired result. Liposuction is not likely to work either as it can lead to serious complications such as circulation and healing problems. Most plastic surgeons won’t even consider working on someone in this condition although some will suggest an alternate procedure known as a panniculectomy. A panniculectomy consists of fat and skin removal but the inner girdle is left untouched.

Speaking of circulation, those who have poor circulation of blood throughout their bodies should not have a tummy tuck as skin death could take place. Skin death (or necrosis) relates to problems with healing which is caused by bad circulation in the abdominal area. During an abdominoplasty the plastic surgeon must separate the fat and skin layer from the inner girdle. A certain degree of circulation is lost during the separation but for most people there is enough circulation for healing to take place. However for some people (especially smokers and obese people) the flow of circulation is not nearly enough. Skin death shows itself in the form of the skin directly above the scar turning a black color and then "dying off." This is a reason to opt out of tummy tuck surgery.

People who are prone to blood clots should not have an abdominoplasty. Blood clots brought on by surgery are the exception as opposed to the rule but for those with the tendency the risks are high. Both fat and blood clots can easily form in the blood vessels. If this happens it can lead to death because they can break off and make their way to the lungs, which is known as a pulmonary embolism

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