If you do experience heartburn, you should take antacids or prescription medications such as proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) as directed by your doctor. If these measures do not help with your symptoms, contact your doctor as soon as possible so they can determine if any further tests are needed to determine why you’re experiencing heartburn.
Heartburn after tummy tuck surgery is a common side effect, especially in the first few months after surgery. Heartburn can be caused by pressure from the band around your stomach, which squeezes the lower esophagus and pushes it against the diaphragm. This can cause acid to back up into your esophagus, causing heartburn. There are several ways to prevent heartburn, including eating smaller meals and avoiding foods that increase stomach acidity. You should also avoid drinking alcohol before or during meals.
Read on for more info about Heartburn After Tummy Tuck, Can You Use Fsa For Tummy Tuck and Gas After Tummy Tuck Surgery
Heartburn After Tummy Tuck
- Why is Tummy Tuck done, after all?
- Is Abdominoplasty Completely Safe?
- Commonly Reported Complications After Tummy Tuck
- Rarely Reported Complications After Tummy Tuck
- Top Clinics for Tummy Tuck Complications World-Wide
- Consult Online with Specialist for Tummy Tuck Complications World-Wide
A tummy tuck, also known as abdominoplasty, is a type of cosmetic surgery. The surgeons perform it with an intention to improve the appearance of the abdomen of the candidate. In this surgery, the cosmetic surgeon removes the excess skin and fat from the middle and the lower abdomen.
Apart from removing the extra skin and fat, the cosmetic surgeon also tightens the connective tissues in the abdomen with sutures sometimes The entire purpose of the procedure is to give a more toned and sleek appearance to the abdomen.
Know Everything about Tummy Tuck from Procedure,Benefits to RecoveryLearn More
People often confuse between a tummy tuck and a weight loss surgery. Both these procedures are not the same. A tummy tuck only helps tone and shape the abdomen as per the candidate’s choice. It is not an alternative to weight loss surgery and neither it helps lose any weight. On the other hand, a weight loss surgery is a more invasive procedure that is suitable for candidates who are morbidly obese. Such candidates do not benefit from a tummy tuck surgery.
A tummy tuck helps boost the body image. Surgeons recommend it to people who have a weaker lower abdominal wall or have excess skin around the navel or the belly button. Abdominoplasty helps such individuals gain confidence with respect to their bodies and achieve a dapper look.
This article talks about some of the complications that may occur in life after you’ve had a tummy tuck. But first, let’s look into why tummy tuck is conducted in the first place.
Why is Tummy Tuck done, after all?
Excess flab in the abdominal area does not only represent fat but it also shows that the skin around the abdominal area lacks strength and elasticity. It also indicates excess skin in the region and stretching of the inner girdle of the abdominal fascia.
The toning and the appearance of the abdominal area are dictated by the inner girdle. The abdomen appears more protruded when the connective tissue or the abdominal fascia is stretched because of some natural reasons such as pregnancy or drastic changes in weight. In such situations, a tummy tuck proves effective as it helps tighten the weak fascia while removing the excess skin and fat in the abdomen.
A tummy tuck is also useful in removing excess skin below the belly button and stretch marks. This is the reason why women may choose to undergo a tummy tuck after delivering the baby. Additionally, people who undergo a weight loss surgery resulting in loose folds of skin can also opt for a tummy tuck.
However, this procedure is not for all individuals. It is not suitable for the following categories of people:
- Women who wish to plan a pregnancy in the future
- Candidates who wish to lose a drastic amount of weight
- People who suffer from a chronic disease or condition such as heart disease or diabetes
- People who have a body mass index greater than 30
Is Abdominoplasty Completely Safe?
According to the statistics by the American Society for Plastic Surgeons, a tummy tuck is the sixth most common cosmetic procedure in the US. In 2014 alone, nearly 117,000 candidates underwent the tummy tuck procedure.
The number of candidates requesting for a tummy tuck surgery has been increasing steadily for the last few years. This is because of an increase in obesity rates and the number of people opting to undergo weight loss surgery. Such people tend to opt for tummy tuck post-bariatric surgery for body contouring and removal of extra skin left after massive weight loss.
Overall, abdominoplasty is a safe procedure and the risk of complications occurring post surgery is low. However, they do affect a fraction of the patients. When a complication occurs, it can leave the affected individuals devastated while posing a great financial burden.
When compared to weight loss surgery, the discomfort or the side effects that the candidate experienced after tummy tuck are less severe. For example, a candidate undergoing a weight loss surgery may experience acid reflux, irritable bowel syndrome, and shortness of breath after laparoscopic gastric banding. However, such discomforts rarely occur in tummy tuck candidates.
Commonly Reported Complications After Tummy Tuck
The following are some of the complications that patients report after a tummy tuck surgery:
Complication #1: Abdominal Compartment Syndrome
What is it: Increased pressure in the abdomen
Symptoms: Low blood pressure, breathing issues, abdominal distension, and decreased urination
The reason why it may occur: When the rectus abdominis muscles are not put back to the original anatomical norms by the surgeon.
Complication #2: Upper Abdominal Bulge
What is it: Abdominal lump or swelling
Symptoms: Abnormal protrusion in the upper abdomen, which is generally soft
Reasons why it may occur: Due to insufficient tightening of the upper abdomen and extreme tightening of the lower abdomen by the surgeon.
Complication #3: Swelling in the Abdomen
Reasons why it may occur: Swelling after a tummy tuck surgery is normal. It persists for four to six months after the surgery. After this time period, it should settle on its own.
Rarely Reported Complications After Tummy Tuck
Complication #1: Infection After Tummy Tuck
What is it: Infection after tummy tuck is a rare complication. It can be a simple suture infection that results when the body tries to dissolve the stitched by itself. It can be a dangerous Methicillin Resistant Staph Aureus (MRSA) infection that required intensive treatment.
Symptoms: Fever and redness
Reason why it may occur: An infection usually results if antibiotics are not given to the candidate prior to the procedure. It may also result when either the candidate is allergic to the preoperative antibiotics or if there has been a previous episode of MRSA.
Complication #2: Fluid Accumulation After Tummy Tuck
What is it: Accumulation of fluid in the space between the abdominal skin and the muscle that underlies it. Fluid accumulation can be a seroma (collection of wound fluid) or hematoma (collection of blood ).
Reason why it may occur: Fluid accumulation occurs when nothing is done to prevent it. To prevent the occurrence of such complications, the candidate must wear compression garments for at least a few weeks after the procedure. The use of fluid pads over the area prone to fluid accumulation can help.
Can You Use Fsa For Tummy Tuck
Do you have a health savings account? If so, you’re probably thinking of the ways you can use up your accumulated dollars before the end of the year. While buying new contact lenses, purchasing a WaterPik, or stocking up on vitamins are perfectly fine ways to spend the money you’ve accumulated in your HSA account, they’re kind of boring. But, what else can you use your HSA money for? Did you know you can use your health savings dollars for cosmetic procedures — such as liposuction and fat transfers from Innovations Medical?
No, you cannot use your FSA funds to pay for a tummy tuck.
The only expense that is covered by FSA funds is the cost of an eligible health insurance plan. This includes both the premiums and any out-of-pocket expenses associated with a qualified medical expense. For example, if you have a FSA plan and your employer contributes $500 per year to it, you can use that money for eligible expenses like prescriptions or doctor visits.
You cannot use your FSA funds for cosmetic procedures such as a tummy tuck unless they are deemed necessary by your healthcare provider. If your doctor recommends a tummy tuck to improve your health (for example, if you suffer from severe abdominal pain), then the procedure would be considered an eligible expense under your FSA plan. However, if he recommends it solely for aesthetic reasons (to improve how you look), then it will not be covered by your FSA plan.
The answer is yes, you can use FSA for tummy tuck.
FSA stands for Flexible Spending Account and it’s a way to pay for medical expenses before taxes. You can use FSA money to pay for deductibles, copays and other medical expenses that aren’t covered by insurance.
The good news is that you can use FSA money to pay for your Tummy Tuck procedure. The bad news is that the FSA limit is only $2,500 per year. This means that if you have an FSA account with $2,000 in it, you won’t be able to use all of it on your surgery unless you also have another source of funding like health savings account or cash on hand.
If you don’t want to use up all $2,000 at once then the best option would be to set some aside and wait until the next year when you will have more funds available in your account again before taking out more money from your FSA account or paying with another source of funding such as HSA or cash on hand
Gas After Tummy Tuck Surgery
“Passing gas” is a pretty personal part of day-to-day life. So it may seem strange that doctors and nurses want to know if you have released gas after you’ve had anesthesia.
After surgery, you may be told to let your nurse know if you pass gas. A child may be told that the nurse would like to know if they “toot” or “fart,” which may cause some giggles.
Why focus on passing gas? It’s simple. If you can pass gas, it means you aren’t developing a condition called post-operative ileus (POI). A POI means your intestines are not moving food through your body properly. This condition can be serious.
This article explains why it’s important that you pass gas after surgery and what it could mean if you cannot.
Importance of Gas After Surgery
You may have received medication to put you to sleep during surgery. The medication can slow down or even stop the gut from moving things from your stomach through the digestive tract. When this slowdown happens, it’s called a delay in gastric motility or POI.
A POI means that it takes your intestines longer to recover from anesthesia than the rest of you. The slowdown can be mild, or it can be severe enough to need medical treatment.1
The ability to pass gas is a clear sign that your digestive system is waking up. If you can pass gas, you either didn’t have a POI, or it is improving.
You may have had a bowel preparation to clean the stool out of your body before surgery. If so, it may be several days before you have a bowel movement. Gas may pass long before a stool does, showing that your bowels are working well.
If you had outpatient surgery, your healthcare team may even require you to pass gas before you go home. The staff doesn’t want to send you home with a POI that could become serious. That’s the reason it’s important to let them know when it happens.
Symptoms
A delay in gastric motility is usually brief. A more severe POI may call for a longer hospital stay.2 Severe symptoms can include:
- Nausea
- Bloating
- Vomiting
- Abdominal tenderness or pain
- Delayed or stopped passing of gas/stool
Sometimes people have nausea, vomiting, and pain after surgery. Because these symptoms can have different causes, it’s a good idea to talk to your doctor any time you have these symptoms while you are recovering.
Causes
Researchers have several theories about why postoperative ileus happens. POIs may be caused by different factors in different people.
One theory involves your nervous system. Your nervous system has two “departments.” The sympathetic nervous system (SNS) normally makes your intestines move less. The parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) makes your intestines move more. After surgery, your SNS may have more control for a short time.3
Another theory is that POI happens when your intestines are handled during surgery. For example, your surgeon may move them out of the way to reach other body parts. Or you may have had surgery directly on your intestines.
If your intestines were handled, your body’s immune system may be triggered. White blood cells and other types of cells may rush to the area, causing a slowdown.
Surgery can also unbalance your electrolytes. Electrolytes are minerals needed for key functions in the body, such as normal digestion.
It’s also possible that pain medications could raise your risk of a POI. Opioid medications can cause constipation after surgery. If you are taking opioid medications for pain relief, or if you already had issues with your intestines before this surgery, you have a higher risk of developing POI.2
Prevention
Preventing a POI is not always possible, but there are ways to lower the risk.
People who receive anesthesia by an epidural in their spine typically recover faster from a POI. Lighter anesthesias usually cut down on the risk of POI.3
Less-invasive surgeries also have a lower risk of POI. These procedures typically use tools inserted through small incisions. POIs may not last as long as they might with more open surgeries with larger incisions. That may be because you are under anesthesia a shorter time and there is a smaller impact on your body.
One simple solution for a POI may be chewing gum after surgery.3 Several studies have shown that POIs in patients who chewed gum resolved more quickly than in those who didn’t chew gum. There was some evidence that their hospital stays were shorter compared to non-gum chewers.
Walking after surgery can also help reduce the severity of symptoms and speed the return to normal.