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Plastic Surgery/Seroma after Tummy Tuck/LipoTuck

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Expert: Alan M. Engler, MD, FACS - 2/20/2007


Question
I have read a lot about seroma after tummy tuck procedures.  On average how often does this occur?  I am considering have LipoTuck and am concerned if this is a common outcome and would like to know if there are any predictors that I can look for to know if this will happen to me.

Thanks,
Wendee

Answer
Dear Wendee,

Thanks for writing to me.  There's lots more info about plastic surgery at my site, www.bodysculpture.com.

I do not know of any statistics that track that particular issue, although it would be interesting to know.  Part of the problem is that there are so many different surgeons doing the procedures, different way the procedures are done, etc., that it would be hard to draw concrete conclusions based on whatever information is obtained.  Which is not, of course, to suggest that it would be anything other than interesting to find out.

It is common to have fluid after these procedures, which is why drains are used.  I have become increasingly reliant on drains after tummy tucks, specifically to diminish the likelihood of a persistent seroma.  I use four drains and typically leave two in for a week or so, and the other two for up to two weeks, by which time the fluid has abated dramatically.  And I do not hesitate to reinsert a drain at the first sign that fluid is reaccumulating.

Finally, I don't know of any way to predict whether or not this will occur.

I hope that this helps, and good luck,

Dr. E
www.bodysculpture.com

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Alan M. Engler, MD, FACS

Expertise

Dr. Engler has answered over 3100 questions as a volunteer expert for AllExperts. His expertise includes breast surgery (breast enlargement with implants, breast reduction, breast lifts), liposuction, eyelid surgery, tummy tucks, facelifts, skin cancers, cysts, 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"), and his discussion of breast implants, also on YouTube is "How to Choose a Breast Implant." His website is www.bodysculpture.com. Thanks for "Likiing" Dr. Engler on Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/pages/New-York-NY/Alan-M-Engler-MD-New-York-Plastic-Surgery-and-Aesthetics/107206405967267?ref=ts&__a=8

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.

Education/Credentials
Dr. Engler graduated from Yale University (BA, Russian Studies) and the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons (MD). He did his residency training in General Surgery and, after that, Plastic Surgery, at the Montefiore Medical Center in New York. He is on the faculty of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, and is a Special Lecturer in the Department of Dermatology at Columbia University in New York. He has admitting privileges at Beth Israel Medical Center and Montefiore Medical Center, both in New York.

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