Patrick Hudson MD, FACS

There are many reasons why revision, corrective or redo surgery may be required after an abdominoplasty. The three most common involve the scar, the umbilicus, and remaining fat .

Anyone considering abdominoplasty must be aware of the long scar and the potential for this to become thick. This scar will stretch from one side of the abdomen to the other.

The umbilicus is also a cause of concern following surgery in some patients. The appearance of the the umbilicus is rarely normal. There is always a scar around it and this can become thick. In some cases, as result of injury or other factors, the the umbilicus can be displaced from the midline.

Fat in the upper part of the abdomen is moved to to the lower part. Patients often wonder why this cannot be removed at the same time as the abdominoplasty. this is because the blood supply of the skin is significantly reduced during an abdominoplasty, and further removal of fat either by direct excision or by liposuction can further endanger the blood supply.

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Any other complication of surgery may also require revision. About 10 percent of patients who have an abdominoplasty may need further revision surgery.

It is unlikely that most patients having an abdominoplasty will feel comfortable wearing a bikini. It is important to be realistic about the possible outcome. No operation will completely return you to your pre-pregnancy state nor to the way you were twenty years ago.

Revision or corrective surgery of an abdominoplasty is not a substitute for a good result with the first operation. Unfortunately this does not always occur and redo surgery rarely achieves a perfect result.