Abdominoplasty or ‘Tummy Tuck’ During Large Incisional Hernia Repairs? Yes.

Many patients with large incisional hernias present to our office with years of inability to exercise. We’ve discussed previously on our blog that when there is an abdominal wall hernia and the muscles of the abdominal wall are not pulled together like they are supposed to be, the muscles weaken over time. This can lead to a large ‘diastasis’ of the rectus muscles, or a large pannus hanging down over the abdominal wall. Repairing large incisional or ventral hernias can often require large incisions! This would seem to make good sense. When I perform these surgeries, I often employ the help and expertise of a Plastic Surgeon who can help me with the hernia repair, as well as offering his or her skills to removing any excess skin, tightening the muscles above and below the hernia, as well as assistance in the post operative care of patients. At California Hernia Specialists, we’ve had great success with many of our large incisional hernia patients: A recent study in Hernia Journal discussed how patients actually improve their posture after a large hernia repair during which an abdominoplasty or ‘tummy tuck’ is performed at the same time as the hernia repair. A combination of removing excess skin and fat, along with giving patients a functional core group of abdominal muscles. This allows patients to exercise, improve their core strength, and increase the volume of their abdominal muscles. This automatically improves posture! Plus, by removing the excess skin, patients are also less self-conscious and more often want to stand straighter and with better posture. View the Article HERE:  Hernia – Improved Posture