AboutAlan M. Engler, MD, FACS Expertise Dr. Engler has answered over 2300 plastic surgery questions for Allexperts. His expertise is in cosmetic plastic surgery including breast surgery (breast enlargement with implants, breast reduction, breast lifts), liposuction, eyelid surgery, tummy tucks, facelifts etc.
Dr. Engler has been listed as one New York`s Top Doctors, and as "One of the World's Most Famous Aesthetic Surgeons" (Aesthetic Surgery, TASCHEN Books, Angelika Taschen, Editor). He is the author of 4 books, including "BodySculpture" (a best-selling plastic surgery book on breast surgery, liposuction and tummy tucks), "EyeScapes" (Plastic Surgery of the Eyelids), "Restylane," and "The Slim Book of Liposuction."
Dr. Engler has two US Patents for surgical instruments that he's designed, and has appeared on numerous television shows, including The Tyra Banks Show, The Ricki Lake Show (four times), and the Dr. Keith Ablow Show. Videos of his appearances are available on YouTube (SEARCH FOR "DR. ENGLER"). His website is www.bodysculpture.com.
Experience Dr. Alan Engler is a board-certified plastic surgeon in New York and the author of BodySculpture - Plastic Surgery of the Body for Men and Women (ISBN 0966382749) one of the top-selling plastic surgery books on amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, etc.
Organizations belong to ASAPS (American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery); ASPS (American Society of Plastic Surgeons); ACS (American College of Surgeons); Clinical Assistant Professor of Plastic Surgery at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York
Question Dr. Engler, I had a tummy tuck June 4. There has been one section on my scar that has never quite closed up. I am on vacation and went hiking for a couple days and put a bandaid over the part that was not closed up. Now it is actually worse and is oozing yellowish fluid and some blood and it quite painful. I have not been on any antibiotics since the procedure. Do I continue to cover it with a bandaid or is there something better I can use. Also, do you think it may be infected?
Answer Hi Natalie,
There's more about tummy tucks at www.bodysculpture.com.
It's a little late for this to be happening but it's not at all uncommon for areas of the incision from a tummy tuck (as well as some other procedurers) to open up and for some fluid to drain out. You can just continue to shower right on the open area and keep dressings on it; it should close up on its own over the next week or so, though it can take longer. But as long as it's not too symptomatic, you can treat it conservatively.
Since yours is painful it may have some more fluid to come out before the symptoms resolve, but it still generally heals well on its own.
That being said you should, of course, contact the PS who did the surgery to let him or her know what's going on and to see if there are any specific recommendations in terms of care, and when he/she wants to see you again.
