All surgery carries some uncertainty and risk. Thousands of abdominoplasties are performed successfully each year. When done by a qualified plastic surgeon such as Mr Uppal who is trained in body contouring, the results are positive. Nevertheless, there are always risks associated with surgery and specific complications associated with this procedure.

Post-operative complications such as infection and blood clots are rare, but can occur. Infection can be treated with drainage and antibiotics, but will prolong your hospital stay. You can minimize the risk of blood clots by moving around as soon after the surgery as possible.

Poor healing, which results in visible scars, or skin growth over time may require a second operation. Smokers should stop, as smoking will increase all the risks of complications and delayed healing.

You can reduce your risk of complications by closely following your surgeon’s instructions before and after the surgery, especially with regard to when and how you should resume physical activity. Wearing the corset for 6-8 weeks is essential to reduce swelling and allow skin tightening. Some patients have excess skin that grows at the end of each scar and does not improve with massage. These so called ‘dog ears’ can be trimmed with a simple procedure in the clinic while you are awake with some local anaesthetic to numb the area.