Jessica Simpson’s plastic surgery memoir

We’ve all been hearing a lot about Jessica Simpson’s memoir but now there are some juicy details regarding Jessica Simpson’s plastic surgery! She discusses having two tummy tucks back to back and some complications. We’ll try and break down her experience. Totally unsubstantiated of course!

Jessica Simpson’s plastic surgery

Based on excerpts we have read, Jessica (yes, we’re on a first name basis) was not in the best medical shape. She was on diet pills and other medications that were adversely affecting her liver. She says her doctors recommended she not have surgery but she did. It’s not clear if, after receiving an answer she didn’t want to hear from one doctor, that she simply went to another doctor.

Regardless, it sounds like she had a mini tummy tuck to remove the excess skin to her lower abdomen. This is not the same as a full tummy tuck. In fact, when she didn’t have the result she was expecting, she went back for a full tummy tuck against medical advice.

As I discuss in the video below, just because a patient insists on having a procedure, does not mean the doctor must do it. Obviously we don’t know all of the specifics but her surgeon could have refused to do the follow up procedure. However, they did perform a full tummy tuck. Even if the timing was not appropriate in Jessica’s case, this is an appropriate procedure for someone that has had children, where a mini tummy tuck would be lacking.

For example, a full tummy tuck not only removes excess lower abdominal skin, but it also tightens up the abdominal wall. This is called a rectus plication. A full tummy tuck also includes liposuction and removal of more skin than what’s possible in a mini tummy tuck.

Complications after her tummy tuck

She states she got an infection after the full tummy tuck. The part that’s confusing is that she describes the infection as colitis. This is an infection of the intestines. Typically when someone describes an infection after a tummy tuck, they’re referring to an infection along the skin incision. Why would a tummy tuck cause infection of the intestines? It’s possible she got an infection of the intestines due to the antibiotics she was taking after her surgery. How do you get an infection of the intestines if you’re already on antibiotics?

Great question, and here’s the answer. Your intestines normally have bacteria in them, referred to as good bacteria, that help with digestion and keeping you “regular.” If you are taking antibiotics, particularly for a long time (as you might after an operation), that can kill the good bacteria, resulting in an overgrowth of bad bacteria. This would lead to diarrhea and “colitis.” So maybe that’s what she’s talking about.

At the end of the day, safety first. Don’t allow your health to take a back seat to an unnecessary cosmetic procedure. Sure there are always risks, but leave the high risk procedures to an operation you must have. Don’t risk your life for an operation you don’t have to have!