What can go wrong
The common and the less common:
- long scars: hip to hip across the lower tummy and around the belly button, and on the breasts
- fluid collecting above the tummy scar (a seroma), which may need draining
- bleeding under the skin (a haematoma), the most common serious problem
- wounds that are slow to heal or open, more likely if you smoke
- numbness of the lower tummy for months or years, and changes in nipple feeling
- uneven breasts or nipples, or 'dog ears' of extra skin at the ends of the tummy scar
- a blood clot in a leg vein that can travel to the lungs
- infection, or a reaction to the anaesthetic
Your surgeon should tell you how likely each one is for you, and what they'd do if it happened.
Why combining matters
A large US study of nearly 25,000 tummy tucks found serious complications in about 3 in 100 when a tummy tuck was done on its own, and a risk about 50% higher, after allowing for other factors, when it was combined with other operations. The most common serious problems were bleeding under the skin, infection, blood clots and chest problems. Risk was also higher in people aged 55 or over and in people with obesity.
That's why some surgeons split a mummy makeover into two operations, and why a longer operation needs a hospital with an anaesthetist and an overnight bed.
Blood clots
Surgery and lying still raise the risk of a clot in a leg vein, which can travel to the lungs. Walking from the first day, any blood-thinning injections you're given, and compression stockings all help. The HSE lists a painful, swollen, warm calf as a reason for an urgent GP appointment; chest pain or breathlessness means an emergency department.
What lowers your risk
- Not smoking: stop well before surgery and stay stopped
- A healthy, steady weight
- Telling the surgeon about every medicine, including the contraceptive pill
- A surgeon on the Specialist Division in Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, in a hospital with an anaesthetist
- Considering two operations if you have health conditions or a lot to be done
Questions people ask
Is a mummy makeover safe?
Most go well, but it's major surgery, and combining operations raises the risk of serious complications.
What are the most common problems?
Fluid above the tummy scar, slow-healing wounds and numbness. Among serious complications in a large US study, bleeding under the skin was the most common.
Is it safer to do it in two operations?
Each operation is shorter, but you have two anaesthetics. Ask your surgeon which suits you.
Does smoking matter?
Yes: it slows healing and raises the risk of wound problems. Stop well before surgery.