Oral intake after abdominoplasty is necessary for faster recovery

Jul 11

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Technorati Tags: tummy tuck, plastic surgery

Normally, oral intake of food is withheld after a person just had surgery. But it looks like this does not work well for abdominoplasty or tummy tuck patients.

A recent announcement from the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) says that withholding oral intake of food in patients after a tummy tuck is not anymore necessary. In fact, feeding the patients earlier could allow for a quicker discharge after surgery.

This sounds weird but this announcement is supported by a recent study that investigated the impact of early feeding after abdominoplasty on the occurrence of postoperative nausea and vomiting. The study details were published in the May/June 2007 issue of the Aesthetic Surgery Journal, ASAPS’ official peer-reviewed journal.

It should be noted that postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) is among the most disagreeable experiences associated with surgery, causing dehydration and retching, which can lead to poor wound healing, among other adverse effects. Traditionally, patients undergoing surgery such as abdominoplasty are not to be fed until they demonstrate evidence of bowel activity. But, no piece of literature supports such practice.

Dr. Alan Matarasso, a board-certified plastic surgeon in New York and a lead author of the study says that they study he was involved in demonstrates that early feeding of tummy tuck patients may prevent the need for postoperative hospital admission for intravenous hydration – at least in those patients who can maintain adequate hydration with oral intake alone – and allow for faster hospital discharge.

"While there may be other reasons for admission, routine postoperative admission to prevent dehydration may not be necessary. These findings could change the way we care for our postoperative abdominoplasty patients, improving their comfort and safety, and saving on health care costs," Matarasso added.

The study did a retrospective review of the medical records of 22 patients who underwent abdominoplasty. The patients were divided into two groups. Group 1 followed traditional guidelines for oral intake while Group 2 was allowed to consume a regular diet immediately after the procedure. The findings? There was no statistical difference in PONV between the two groups.

However, some surgeons are skeptical about the whole issue. Dr. Foad Nahai, Atlanta plastic surgeon and president of ASAPS has this to say:

"Although a number of abdominoplasties are performed as outpatients, for those patients in whom it is deemed necessary, for safety reasons, to undergo the procedure in a hospital this paper demonstrates that early feeding of patients undergoing abdominoplasty is possible. It does not diminish some of the benefits of postoperative hospital admission. Achievement of adequate pain control, maintenance of a semi-flexed position, and patient and surgeon preference are important variables to consider when choosing between admission and discharge."

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