Abdominoplasty and C-Section at the Same Time

Posted on Friday, August 23rd, 2013 by Dr. Babak Dadvand

One of the most common reasons a woman presents for abdominoplasty, or tummy tuck surgery is child birth. During pregnancy, the abdominal skin is stretched as are the rectus muscles to accommodate the growing uterus. This occurs in conjunction to the weight that is gained during the pregnancy. Once the baby is born the skin and muscles may not always retract to their pre-pregnancy shapes.

There are certain instances where a patient may undergo a c-section and abdominoplasty at the same time. There are advantages and disadvantages to this combination. The obvious advantage is one stop shopping; one anesthesia, whether general or epidural, and one recovery. The tummy tuck incision will give the obstetrician more than enough exposure to deliver the baby. Once the obstetrician is finished with their portion of the case, the abdominoplasty can be completed.

The disadvantages of this procedure are that in some patients they may go on to lose more weight in the months after the delivery which could affect the tightness of the tummy tuck. Some studies have also shown a higher risk of incision infection when combining tummy tuck surgery with intra-abdominal or pelvic surgery. These have to be addressed with the patient prior to surgery. In the right patient however, this combination procedure is a good option.

To learn more about abdominoplasty surgery and to see before and after pictures visit my website at drdadvandplasticsurgery.com.

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