Research Support Hydration And Lower Extremity Elevation During And After A Tummy Tuck

Surgeons and researchers are always looking for new, successful ways to improve the safety of plastic surgery. Despite a popular misconception, most complications do not occur during surgery, as trained plastic surgeons like Dr. Agha have years of experience with the human body and know how to improve outcomes with the least number of setbacks as possible.

Most complications occur after surgery, with improper care, issues with clotting and behaviors, and more. That is why successful research focuses not only on the safest surgical techniques but also the safest recovery techniques to reduce and prevent any health or aesthetic issues in the long term.

Study Reports that Hydration and Feet Elevation May Reduce Risk for DVT

Deep Vein Thrombosis is one of the main concerns in recovery from an abdominoplasty (tummy tuck). Patients are asked to prevent DVT with better post-operative care, including walking more often and movement. A recent study indicated that additional behaviors may reduce DVT further. They found that patients that did the following reported fewer instances of DVT:

• Adequate Hydration During and After Surgery – During tummy tuck surgery, patients were given an IV designed to improve hydration, as measured through urine flow throughout and after the surgery. They were also told to drink more water after surgery was over for the 4 weeks of follow up visits.

• Raised Extremities – During surgery, patients had their legs raised above their heads. After surgery, patients were still told that when they lay down they should put their legs up, rather than sleep flat or sit.

During this study, the researchers found that instances of DVT were decreased dramatically, indicating that legs raised with greater hydration may reduce the development of DVT.

Issues With the Study

Dr. Agha will provide his own post-operative instructions for your abdominoplasty, all based on sound medical science. The results of the above study are interesting, but the study has its own problems. All surgeries were performed by only one plastic surgeon and there was no control, which means that there is no way to compare the results against what would have occurred if the patients did not have their legs elevated or if their hydration was decreased. Also, both hydration and leg elevation were linked together, but they are unrelated variables. It is possible that only one of those behaviors decreases the risk of DVT.

Without information to compare it against, the results of the study are not necessarily considered applicable to tummy tuck patients. However, it is still an interesting idea, and one that reminds patients about the importance of listening to the advice of Dr. Agha upon completion, as there are many strategies that can help improve the results of your plastic surgery procedures.

Contact Us Today for a Consultation

If you’re interested in learning more about our tummy tuck surgery in Newport Beach, contact us today. We are happy to discuss not only what procedures are available, but also what we recommend for those that want to maximize their recovery and their results. Call us today at (949)644-2442 to find out more.