Surgical correction of the anterior abdominal wall is an extensive and traumatic intervention. Individual characteristics of the body and its immunological reactivity, concomitant diseases of organs and systems can contribute to the development of serious consequences. Careful preparation for surgery and following your doctor’s recommendations will help reduce the risk of abdominoplasty complications.
During abdominoplasty, excess skin and subcutaneous fat and deformation of the muscular aponeurotic frame are subject to surgical correction. Abdominoplasty can be either an independent operation or one of the stages in the treatment of aesthetic manifestations of obesity. But in any case, this intervention cannot be considered as local. Unlike many other aesthetic surgeries, abdominoplasty creates significant functional tension in the respiratory and cardiovascular systems, which can itself lead to complications.
Patients with a high BMI (body mass index) often suffer from somatic diseases such as coronary heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes. Therefore, each patient needs a thorough examination and preoperative preparation, and after the operation he will undergo long-term rehabilitation and, most often, intensive therapy immediately after abdominoplasty.
All complications after abdominoplasty can be divided into general and local. General ones affect the entire body as a whole, while local ones affect only the operated area.
Common complications include:
- thrombosis of the lower extremities, pulmonary embolism,
- abdominal compartment syndrome,
- pneumonia.
Local complications can be divided into early and late. Early ones are:
- necrosis,
- ischemia,
- seroma,
- hematoma,
- abscess and phlegmon;
Late local complications:
- cosmetic scar defects (retracted, asymmetrical),
- uneven distribution of subcutaneous fat tissue,
- navel displacement.
Abdominal compartment syndrome (ACS)
Abdominal compartment syndrome (ACS) occurs when intra-abdominal pressure increases dramatically after surgery. This can lead to compression of organs, overload of the pulmonary circulation, hepatic-renal failure, difficulty breathing and even pulmonary edema.
To reduce the likelihood of this complication of abdominoplasty, doctors repeatedly measure intra-abdominal pressure during the operation and can monitor its increase. But you still need to remember that the severity of ACS depends not only on the growth rate and pressure, but also on the condition of organs and systems.
In the preoperative period, patients are recommended to wear a compression bandage for 2-3 weeks so that the body adapts to increased abdominal pressure, quit smoking and alcohol, reduce BMI by 10%, breathing exercises and moderate physical activity.
Treatment of complications may include decompression abdominoplasty, oxygen therapy, and the administration of muscle relaxants.
Compression garments after abdominoplasty
An important element of the recovery period is compression garments after abdominoplasty. It usually consists of a wide bandage that encircles the body in the abdominal area. Such underwear provides the necessary compression, accelerates healing and prevents swelling. Sometimes it is put on a person immediately after abdominoplasty, while he is still under general anesthesia. This allows you to protect the sutures and swelling after abdominoplasty from excessive mechanical impact.
It usually makes sense to purchase at least two sets of support clothes, which will make it easier to ensure they are washed on time. Some types of such laundry need to air dry, but this happens quite slowly, so it is logical to have a spare set. In most cases, compression garments are worn for at least 3-4 months after abdominoplasty; the rehabilitation period for this plastic surgery is very long.
Compression garments come in a variety of sizes. Putting it on may seem a little tricky at first, but practice solves this problem. It is usually easier to put it on while standing. Compression garments should be completely pressed onto the body and it is important to avoid any wrinkles or folds. Usually during the day it is necessary to adjust the position of the underwear on the body 1-2 times, as it gets a little confused during wearing. Compression garments after abdominoplasty are actively discussed in the corresponding forum section of our website.
How to ease the recovery period after abdominoplasty
Immediately after abdominoplasty, the abdomen is usually swollen and a throbbing sensation may be present in the operated area. The doctor prescribes painkillers to the patient, which must be taken if severe pain occurs. It is important not to delay taking painkillers until the pain becomes severe. Taking analgesics in advance can reduce their overall consumption. You should not endure pain, as painful sensations worsen your well-being and slow down recovery.
The pain usually goes away within a few days, as does the swelling. There may be some minor bruising, but this too will disappear in a few days. It is important to understand this so as not to become depressed and needlessly upset. The formation of hematomas and swelling is a completely normal consequence of surgical interventions, including abdominoplasty. How many days the swelling will subside and the hematomas will disappear depends on careful adherence to the doctor’s recommendations.
Upon discharge from the hospital, the attending physician provides the patient with detailed written instructions. The plastic surgeon provides his patient with a list of medications to be taken and detailed instructions regarding behavior, hygiene, wearing compression garments and lifestyle in the coming weeks and months after abdominoplasty. If you experience any alarming symptoms or adverse signs, such as fever or bleeding from the incision, you should notify your doctor immediately.
- special diet throughout rehabilitation prescribed by the surgeon
- sharp limitation of physical activity in the first days after abdominoplasty
- significant reduction in physical activity and weight lifting in the first months after surgery
- regular performance of special sets of exercises prescribed by a plastic surgeon
- quitting smoking throughout the entire rehabilitation period, as nicotine interferes with recovery processes
- abstaining from sunbathing on the beach and in the solarium during the many-month recovery period, until permission is received from the attending physician
- avoiding saunas, hot baths and contrast showers for an extended period until a doctor's permission is obtained
Lifestyle during the rehabilitation period
If you are taking oral contraceptives, be aware that some antibiotics may interact with them in undesirable ways. Therefore, in addition to oral contraceptives, additional methods of birth control should be used. Of course, in the first weeks after abdominoplasty, most patients simply abstain from sexual activity due to discomfort. Before resuming sexual activity, you should consult with your doctor to make sure that such actions are safe for the body.
Your healthcare provider will often recommend using extra pillows under your head and shoulders for the first 2 weeks to keep your upper body elevated. In the first days after surgery, the patient must lie down a lot. In an upright position, the pain intensifies and it is better to lie down or at least sit. It is important not to overload your body and nervous system in the first time after surgery; you need to get plenty of rest and sleep, as this ensures accelerated recovery after abdominoplasty.
In the first weeks after abdominoplasty, it is important to measure your temperature regularly. An elevated temperature usually indicates an infection or inflammatory process. The first time after surgery, the patient is usually prescribed antibiotics, which must be taken in strict accordance with the doctor's instructions. Even if a person feels fine, one should not arbitrarily reduce the dosage of antibiotics or stop taking them, as this is fraught with the development of infection.
A sagging belly, somewhat reminiscent of an apron, bothers many women. For some, the problem arose after childbirth, for others - after sudden weight loss. The article will talk about abdominoplasty surgery, which helps to cope with the problem of a sagging belly.
Abdominoplasty is a plastic surgery aimed at improving the condition of the abdominal muscles (restoring the muscle frame) and removing excess fat and skin. Abdominoplasty is a complex operation performed under general anesthesia. This is not an easy cosmetic procedure. This is a surgical intervention, after which the patient goes through a long rehabilitation process.
As with any operation, there are indications for abdominoplasty:
- dermal fat;
- prolapse of the anterior abdominal wall and lateral sections;
- unaesthetic, rough postoperative scars from previous operations;
- large excess skin;
- the presence of “old” stretch marks;
- separation of the abdominal muscles (diastasis);
- deformation in the abdominal area.
It should be noted that all these indications work provided that it is impossible to influence them without surgical intervention. In other words, if the patient can tighten the muscles himself in the gym or reduce the skin with a massage or massage, the operation should not be performed. The doctor will try to dissuade you from surgery and advise you to take other measures to improve the appearance of your abdomen.
Thromboembolic complications
The likelihood of blood clots increases after any surgery. Abdominoplasty is no exception. The increased risk of complications is caused by blood loss and prolonged immobilization. Venous diseases, cardiac dysfunction and other pathologies further increase the likelihood of thromboembolism.
Signs of thromboembolism may include swelling and pain in the limb after surgery. And in the case of pulmonary embolism - shortness of breath, bluish discoloration of the skin, pain when inhaling and exhaling. To confirm the diagnosis, you may need an ECG, contrast tomography, ultrasound, or venography.
Hematoma
Hematoma is one of the most common local complications of abdominoplasty. It develops when bleeding is insufficiently stopped or can be triggered by increased blood pressure. Often, to prevent thromboembolism, patients are given drugs that inhibit blood clotting - anticoagulants. Their use may also cause bleeding. A sign of a hematoma may be a change in skin color, pain, swelling in the operated area, or an increase in body temperature.
The hematoma should be removed by puncture with a thick needle as early as possible. If the complication is not detected in time, it can lead to significant blood loss and suppuration in the abdominal cavity. For prevention, the patient should follow all the doctor’s recommendations, especially with regard to wearing compression garments and taking medications.
Rehabilitation period and recovery after abdominoplasty
The rehabilitation recovery period after the implementation of the considered surgical operation to correct the body has a number of specific features. The tissue healing process after completion of any type of abdominoplasty is quite short. This is explained by the lack of impact on internal organs: surgical manipulations are carried out exclusively in the layers of the upper epidermis and subcutaneous fatty tissue. For this reason, the healing process of damaged tissue is not long.
Consequences of abdominoplasty
Principles and rules
To speed up the recovery of damaged tissue, you should regularly disinfect the suture area and monitor the healing process of the skin. The following recommendations from doctors for the recovery period will help to achieve healing faster:
- a significant reduction in physical activity, which is important especially in the area where surgery was performed;
- limiting visits to solariums, beaches, swimming pools, baths and saunas - here exposure to humidity and high temperatures occurs, which negatively affects the healing of sutures;
- regular treatment of suture sites with disinfectant solutions prescribed by a doctor.
The tips provided will help shorten the duration of the rehabilitation period and prevent the likelihood of developing side effects.
Compression underwear
Wearing special underwear that has a supportive effect will allow skin lesions to heal faster with minimal risk of scarring. Compression underwear copes with this task perfectly: eliminating unnecessary stress on the seams, it provides the necessary rest to the skin and eliminates the risk of stagnant processes in the subcutaneous tissue.
Stages
The rehabilitation period must be carried out under the constant supervision of a doctor. For the first time after the operation, it is necessary to completely abandon any physical activity; it is preferable to remain in bed for at least the first two days after the operation.
Wearing compression garments will speed up the healing process and eliminate fluid stagnation. Throughout the entire rehabilitation period, the skin incision sites should be treated with a disinfectant solution, which will help prevent the possibility of infection penetrating into the tissue.
After complete healing of the sutures, it is also recommended to normalize physical activity and monitor the condition of the sutures.
Seroma
During abdominoplasty, large wound surfaces are formed, and serous fluid accumulates at their junctions and in the cavities. When moving and breathing after surgery, the tissues are displaced, and as a result of friction between them, more and more inflammatory exudate is formed. At some point, external signs of seroma will appear - noticeable swelling in the intervention area. The patient may complain of fever.
If a seroma is detected, the doctor performs aspiration - removing the contents with a needle, and prescribes antibiotics. Sometimes, to completely remove the contents of the cavity, 5-6 punctures are required with an interval of one or two days. In addition, the doctor applies a pressure bandage to reduce friction of the operated tissues. For large seromas, more radical treatment is required - careful drainage of the cavity through the surgical wound.
To prevent seroma, you need to adhere to bed rest for the first 24 hours after abdominoplasty and wear a bandage.
Aesthetic scar defect
An unsatisfactory appearance of the postoperative scar may also be a complication of abdominoplasty. The reasons for the formation of unaesthetic scars may be the peculiarities of wound healing in the body, strong tension of the skin during suturing, and improper planning of incision lines. In this case, the scar may be too convex or retracted.
In general, scar defects can be corrected surgically, with the exception of keloid scars - in this case, you can only count on conservative therapy.
Possible complications and consequences
With a large number of positive characteristics of classical abdominoplasty, after it is performed there is a certain risk of a number of side effects. Their manifestation depends on the body’s ability to quickly self-heal, the absence of a hereditary tendency to form scars and scars, with the rehabilitation period carried out correctly. Complications that arise in patients after this type of surgical correction of a certain area of the body can be:
- the appearance of extensive bruises, seromas and hematomas, which most often occur in places where the skin is incised and sutures are applied in these places;
- swelling of the tissues, which, if the recovery period goes well, goes away on its own, but in some cases persists for a long time;
- increased sensitivity and pain in the surgical area;
- divergence of cosmetic sutures that were placed at the skin incision sites during the operation;
- the appearance of rough scars and scars - they most often occur at the site of cosmetic sutures;
- the appearance of signs of inflammatory processes in the body;
- tissue necrosis - most often this unpleasant manifestation is observed in the navel area and can be triggered by the presence of such a bad habit as smoking.
The large amount of work during the operation in question also increases the risk of developing side effects. When abdominoplasty and removal of excess fat deposits (liposuction) are performed simultaneously, some smoothness of the skin may appear, and this is often noted when the plastic surgeon lacks practical experience. This side effect is also observed when the subcutaneous fat is unevenly distributed. Sometimes surgical sutures become inflamed, which is noted when they are not sufficiently treated with disinfectants. For severe pain, the doctor usually prescribes Ketonal, Nise.
This video will tell you what unforeseen consequences may occur after abdominoplasty:
Edema
Retention of excess fluid in the tissues can be caused by a violation of the kidneys, or with a hereditary tendency to react with congestion in case of mechanical damage to the skin. Swelling most often resolves on its own, but if it persists for a long time, especially in places of incisions and sutures, there is a high probability of developing inflammation of the skin and subcutaneous fat.
To eliminate edema, your doctor may recommend the use of decongestants that have a diuretic effect. However, due to the active removal from the body of such important microelements as potassium, magnesium and sodium during their long-term use, in parallel with their intake, you should include in your diet foods rich in these substances, or take ready-made pharmacy vitamin and mineral complexes. Lyoton and Essaven, Traumeel S, Bepanten help with bruises and swelling.
Complications after abdominoplasty (photo)
Seam divergence
If physical activity is too early or tissue healing is poor, the cosmetic suture may come apart. This is fraught with the penetration of infections into the body, the appearance of inflammatory processes, which aggravates the weakening of the body after the intervention and requires an immediate response from the doctor. If surgical sutures diverge, the doctor prescribes anti-inflammatory and antibacterial drugs, the duration and frequency of which is prescribed by the doctor.
The use of hormonal drugs with hydrocortisone or heparin (such as Contractubex) in combination with ultrasound therapy will help reduce the time for complete healing of the suture. Pressotherapy is also good in this case.
Hematomas and seromas
Often, any surgical intervention is accompanied by the appearance of bruises and hematomas, which, with proper care of the skin and damaged areas, resolve on their own. However, in some cases, for example, with increased skin sensitivity, they persist for a long time.
In case of numerous bruises, hematomas and seromas, the doctor may recommend the use of absorbable ointments and gels, which promote faster blood circulation and eliminate these unpleasant manifestations.
Necrosis of the navel
With such a bad habit as smoking, tissue necrosis may occur, and the navel area is considered the most vulnerable place. Even with minor changes in the skin, you should immediately consult a doctor, who will make a diagnosis and prescribe the use of special medications. Their action is aimed at eliminating inflammation and reducing skin infections.
You can see your belly a week after abdominoplasty in the video below:
