Thousands of abdominoplasty procedures are performed successfully each year. When performed by a qualified Mississauga / Toronto tummy tuck surgeon, such as Dr. Lista or one of the other Plastic Surgery Clinic surgeons, the results are generally quite 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 may require a hospital stay. You can minimize the risk of blood clots by moving around as soon as possible after the surgery. At the Plastic Surgery Clinic, abdominoplasty patients are given anti-embolic stockings which they are asked to wear for one week following surgery. We also have a specialized device called a compression pump which gently massages the patients legs during surgery and, combined with the stockings, greatly decreases the risk of blood clots in the legs.

Poor healing, which results in conspicuous scars, may necessitate a second operation. Smokers are advised to stop, as smoking may increase the risk of complications and delay 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.