Okay, where do I start? There’s a lot of noise on the internet about performing a hysterectomy and tummy tuck procedures concurrently in one surgical sitting and, in a lot of these places, I see that people, while addressing this concern, use panniculectomy and tummy tuck interchangeably when referring to hysterectomy combination surgery. So, before I start, I’ll like to clear that by first establishing that a panniculectomy and tummy tuck are not the same thing, as tummy tuck refers only to abdominoplasty. A panniculectomy or ‘apron’ surgery is a pelvic operation that essentially involves removing excess hanging skin, fat and soft tissue from areas below the belly button only, while an abdominoplasty or tummy tuck tightens the abdominal wall, underlying stomach muscles as well as tissues above the belly button. While these two procedures can and are often performed together, they are not the same thing.
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It is of great importance to distinguish these two procedures (panniculectomy and tummy tuck) because although there have been prior studies (2012) suggesting that a hysterectomy and tummy tuck can be safely performed together, it highlighted a 32 percent minor complication rate. However, this study did not receive much popularity or acceptance as many expert surgeons who were against the results of this study, particularly plastic surgeon Dr. Sherrell Aston, vehemently disagreed with the definition of ‘minor’ in the study, while claiming that any procedure with a 32 percent complication rate needs re-evaluation. And having analyzed the risks associated with combining both, he concluded by asserting his opinion that both procedures should not be conducted concurrently.
Therefore, you must be better informed and make sure you always get information from the correct authoritative source as these medical terms can sometimes be quite confusing. I’ve seen that answers to questions in this area are usually drawn from the study “Hysterectomy with Concurrent Panniculectomy: A Propensity-Matched Analysis of 30-Day Outcomes” published by the ‘Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery’, of the medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, on September 2015, whereas, it clearly indicates that PANNICULECTOMY and not ABDOMINOPLASTY (tummy tuck) can be safely combined with a hysterectomy procedure without increasing its potential risk of complications. So, it is quite shameful seeing that people quote this study to suggest that a hysterectomy and tummy tuck can be safely combined together, which is inaccurate as a tummy tuck procedure is far more complicated than a panniculectomy procedure.
Before we go further, just to make sure you’re following, a hysterectomy is the surgical procedure which essentially involves the removal of a woman’s uterus. A woman may need to remove her uterus for non-elective reasons such as; pelvic pain, cancer, uterine fibroids (benign tumors in the uterus), abnormal bleeding, or endometriosis (when uterine cells begin to grow in other parts of the woman’s body). This is a major surgery done under general anesthesia since the uterus is a very important part of the woman’s reproductive system as it is responsible for housing the growth of a fetus during pregnancy.
Meanwhile, combining a panniculectomy with a hysterectomy already has its challenges, so why add a more advanced abdominoplasty to the mix. To be clear, surgeons avoid combining these two procedures (hysterectomy and tummy tuck) because of increased risks which I’ll get into later. I’m sure if you look very hard, you may see a surgeon willing to perform these two major surgeries at once, but, I doubt that very experienced surgeons will because most times, they advise against performing a hysterectomy together with a tummy tuck. Don’t give up though, because, every case is peculiar and they’re still of the opinion that it is very possible for these procedures to be safely combined, assuming it’s the right thing for you and you’re the right candidate, but be forewarned that it’s definitely not void of risks. This is the reason I always stress that you consult with expert gynecologists and surgeons before you go ahead and make an uninformed decision on your own.
We’re not going to look at the risks associated with panniculectomy and hysterectomy because that’s not the focus of this article. If you want me to discuss this in a separate article, make a kind request in the comment section. Thanks!
Alright, where were we? Yes, I’m going to briefly highlight what benefits and risks apply in having a combined hysterectomy and tummy tuck procedure. However, to know whether this combined procedure is right for you, or if you qualify as an ideal candidate (having fulfilled all associated conditions), is left for your gynecologist and expert surgeon to determine during a consultation.
Now, while the potential benefits of combining a hysterectomy and tummy tuck procedures include; reduced overall healing time, reduced hospital bed time, and reduced risks associated with anesthesia, the drawbacks and risks among others include; excessive bleeding, fever, wound complications, urinary tract infection, atelectasis, and the need for blood transfusion.
So, in conclusion, and in careful consideration of the information contained herein, my response to the topical question would have to be – it depends!
Have you combined these two procedures, or perhaps you’ve performed any similar combination (i.e. panniculectomy and hysterectomy)? Please share your experiences in the comment section below.
