Scarring from necrotic tummy tuck incision

A couple of people have asked about this, so while I was taking phone pics for another thread, I decided to take one of the scarring.

A few years ago, I paid out of pocket to have a tummy tuck done after I had already had a panniculectomy. It was a "reverse" tummy tuck since I had already had the previous surgery.  Less than 24 hours after the surgery, the incision started to break down.  After three consecutive weeks of debridement, I had a giant uterus and fallopian shaped (!) wound in my belly between my ribs and under my breasts.  The bottom of the midline portion of the incision was so deep that I could see the muscle fascia!

It took over 5 months for the crater to fill back in and to regrow the skin on top of it.  It healed up MUCH better than the plastic surgeon and I thought it would, and the scarring has faded a lot over the last 3 years... it is all completely"white" now.  As you can see below, it looks like a burn scar.  It goes all the way across underneath (and between) both breasts, dips down at the end under the left breast, and goes down my midline for a couple of inches.  (Most of the midline area just has a normal single incision scar because when I had the exploratory open surgery for my mystery abdominal pain last August, the surgeon was able to remove the scarred skin before she closed the skin (she actually HAD to remove it because with the scarring it would not have held well.)

Anyway, this is one of the potential complications of a tummy tuck (or skin removal without the muscle tightening):

Lora

It looks pretty good from what you all had done.  I am on Medicare with a BC/BS Medigap plan and they will only pay for a panniculectomy and so that is all I will get.  I am too old to worry about scars.  I had an open cholecystectomy many years ago that left me with a large, ugly, diagonal scar across my entire abdomen so not too much could be worse.  Also, two knees and a hip.  These scars tell the story of our lives.

Thanks for sharing, I admire your bravery and that fact that your survived such a traumatic event! Our bodies are so fragile. I really want plastic surgery but I'm scared to death since I always hear about bad outcomes like yours. I'm glad you're so well healed and really respect you for sharing your story. Thanks again.

Oh OUCH!  I have some idea of how this works as my husband had to have a debrided foot and had to heal from the inside out ... its amazing what the body will do to heal itself.... Looks like it healed well!  Thanks for sharing...I think its important for people to know the risks and the possibilities!  Very brave of you... I think it looks good.

The entire scarred area was red/pink for a long time (well over a year) so it looks SO much better now that everything has faded to white. I was afraid it was always going to look like a fresh burn.

Lora

Wow Lora, thanks for sharing. That is something to think about. Glad you are better now.  

So did they ever give a reason that the incision started to break down?

Probably because it was the third midline incision surgery in less than 3 years (my RNY was open and I had already had an incisional hernia repaired as an open surgery).  Yet when I had open surgery last year to fix a problem with adhesions and my intestine, the surgeon used the same incision line and it healed up very quickly with no problem whatsoever.

Lora

I was a bit worried....I have had three surgeries in the abdomen (plus some other 'lady' surgeries), an exploratory that turned out to be a bad appendix, the open RNY, and another lapro ties on the falopians.  I'm sure there is scar tissue in there.  I was hoping to have some reconstructive work done for the extra skin but was worried with your post.  Hopefully enough time will pass that I'll be able to have the work done.

Sounds you went through hell with this but it really looks fine now.  Thank you for sharing this with us and for being the great resource that you are!