How long will my recovery be after I have a tummy tuck? is one of the most frequently asked questions we get from patients. The fast response is that it is conditional on the specific surgery performed and the length of time the patient has waited for it. A full abdominoplasty (tummy tuck), in which extra skin and fat are removed and the abdominal muscles are tightened, usually requires around two weeks of recovery time. During this time, you’ll wear a special garment over your incision to keep the area clean and protected.
If you have a big event coming up soon after your treatment but are worried about how you’ll feel about the noticeable bulge in your stomach, consider postponing it until later in the healing period. A mini-tummy tuck, or abdominal liposuction, will have a shorter recovery time of one to three weeks compared to a traditional tummy tuck. You’ll still need to protect the incision site with a garment, but there won’t be any swelling to worry about.
To find out more about How Long For Recovery After Tummy Tuck, What to Expect During the Mini Tummy Tuck Surgery and What Is The Fastest Way To Recover From A Tummy Tuck
How Long For Recovery After Tummy Tuck
You may notice some temporary signs of discomfort after your tummy tuck such as:
- an inability to stand fully upright for a couple of days or weeks,
- pain and bruising for a few weeks,
- swelling for several weeks or months, and
- numbness, a pulling sensation, and/or tightness and pain when you cough for weeks or months.
WHAT DOES A TUMMY TUCK SCAR LOOK LIKE?
Our surgeons will use special care and expertise to minimize the appearance of your scar. The size of your scar depends on the type of tummy tuck you have and the amount of skin we remove. In either case, we will make the incision where many undergarments and swimsuits will cover it.
- Mini tummy tuck scar — This procedure will have a shorter horizontal scar just above your pubic mound (skin above your pubic bone).
- Full tummy tuck scar — This procedure will have a longer horizontal or U-shaped scar above your pubic mound. This may stretch from hip bone to hip bone. If we create a new opening for your belly button, you will have a small circular scar too.
Your tummy tuck scar will thin and fade gradually over the course of one year. However, it will always be visible. For the best results, make sure to follow your surgeon’s instructions for tummy tuck recovery.
TUMMY TUCK RECOVERY TIME
Your plastic surgeon will see for you regular follow-up visits during your tummy tuck recovery, supporting you through it all. The most important thing to remember is that you should follow your surgeon’s aftercare instructions closely.
Recovery time for a tummy tuck varies, depending on factors like:
- the type of tummy tuck you have,
- your age and health, and
- following aftercare instructions.
In general, you can expect to:
- see an improvement in your abdomen’s appearance soon after your procedure. It will progress gradually as you are able to stand taller and your swelling and scars fade.
- return to work as early as two weeks after surgery. If your job involves lifting heavy objects daily, you will need to wait four to six weeks.
- feel like yourself again around two months after surgery.
- resume all activities three months after surgery.
- see your scar fade over several months to one year.
SUPPORT YOU’LL NEED AFTER SURGERY
It is important to have friends or family that will support your social and emotional health as you heal. You will need someone at home that can help you after your tummy tuck surgery — for at least a couple of days, but ideally much longer. Some of the reasons include:
- difficulty moving around when you return home from surgery. Walking, standing for a long time, bending, and lifting may all be a challenge.
- bending quickly or lifting too much — even a small child — can stretch or reopen your incision and prolong bleeding and swelling.
- not being able to drive for two weeks after surgery.
DAILY ACTIVITIES AFTER TUMMY TUCK
Drain Care
During your tummy tuck, we will place small drainage tubes near your incision to stop fluid from building up in that area while you heal. You will need to empty your drains several times a day. We will show you how to do this before you leave the hospital. Your drains will remain in place until we remove them in a follow-up visit around one to two weeks after surgery.
Scar Care
You will be able to start scar massage and use scar tapes or creams to minimize the appearance of your scar at least three weeks after surgery.
What to Wear
After your tummy tuck procedure, you will have a light bandage over your incisions (cuts). You will also wear a compression garment around your abdomen to prevent fluid buildup and to support you while you heal. You should always wear your compression garment except when showering or washing it. You can stop wearing it shortly after your drains are removed around one to two weeks after surgery.
Initially, you will want to avoid clothing that digs into your waist. You may be most comfortable wearing loose-fitting pants, such as drawstring pajama pants or dresses.
Showering & Bathing
You can resume a daily shower two days after surgery. Do not soak in a bathtub, pool, or hot tub until your incisions heal or your surgeon says it’s okay.
Physical Activity & Exercise
- Walking: Expect to spend plenty of time resting the first few days after your tummy tuck, with the exception of walking around the house to maintain healthy circulation. After three weeks, you should be able to walk normally, but not forcefully.
- Bending and squatting: For six weeks after surgery, you should avoid or ease into these positions as they may be strain your incision line.
- Lifting: For the first four to six weeks, you should not lift anything over 10 pounds.
You can gradually start increasing your physical activity six weeks after your tummy tuck. However, you should avoid any strenuous activity or motion with excessive force until three months after surgery.
How to Sleep
For the first few days after surgery, you should sleep on your back or side and place pillows under your knees to take the pressure off of your abdominal muscles. When you get out of bed, you should turn on your side first and/or have someone support your back. You can also try to sleep in a recliner, if you have one, to maintain the proper position.
Driving & Returning to Work
Before you drive or return to work, it’s best to get your surgeon’s approval at a follow-up visit. In general, you should not drive until you’ve been off of your prescription pain medication for at least 24 hours and can safely operate a vehicle in traffic.
You may be able to drive and return to a desk job as early as two weeks after a tummy tuck. If your work requires heavy lifting or strenuous activity, you will need to wait at least four to six weeks.
What to Expect During the Mini Tummy Tuck Surgery
How long your procedure lasts is dependable on how much excess skin requires to be removed. As only a small amount of skin is required to be removed during a mini tummy tuck surgery, we can expect this to take around one and a half hours.
At the beginning of the surgery, we create an incision around the pubic region just below your naval and how much tissue needs to be removed will ultimately determine the length of this.
A benefit of a mini tummy tuck surgery compared with a full tummy tuck or the Fleur De Lis Abdominoplasty is that it leaves a much smaller scar because the others require removing much more skin.
Mini Tummy Tuck Preparation
To prepare you in the best way possible for your mini tummy tuck surgery, we’ll discuss the best preparation methods prior to your procedure. There are a range of precautions that we advise you to follow.
If you smoke excessively, we recommend you to stop approximately six weeks before your mini tummy tuck surgery as this will help to avoid any complications with your recovery.
To ensure the best results, we strongly advise you to lose any excess weight prior to surgery.
It’s also important to avoid taking aspirin, some herbal supplements and any anti-inflammatory medication which we can discuss in more detail during your consultation.
Around six hours before the surgery avoid drinking or eating as a general anaesthetic will be used during the surgery to help numb any pain. It is expected for you to feel some soreness shortly after the surgery as your anaesthetic wears off but we can relieve this through other forms of health supplements if required.
Although each individual recovers differently from the surgery, we still advise that you give yourself at least two weeks off from your job to fully recover.
After Care
Due to the position of the surgery on your body, we’ll take you to the ward which gives you the ability to regain movement following the procedure. Once the anaesthesia has worn off you will be able to eat and drink again.
Pain relief will also be provided shortly after the surgery to help numb any pain you feel which will arise from the expected swelling. After the surgery it’s worth following these steps in order to ensure a speedy recovery:
- Arranging for a pick up from the hospital will help to avoid the area from becoming strained whilst you drive.
- Having someone available to care for you whilst you’re at home will prevent the struggle of manoeuvring which you’re likely to feel for about a week or so.
- So we can support you through your recovery, have someone available to help you attend appointments back at the hospital which we’ll schedule after your surgery.
- You can avoid any unnecessary straining in the first week of your recovery.
- A support garment will be provided after the surgery and you should wear this for around 4-6 weeks after the surgery to aid your recovery.
- Light exercise after a week or two, such as walking, can resume.
- You can be encouraged to start normal exercise around three to four weeks after your mini tummy tuck surgery.
- Once your scar has healed, begin to regularly massage it in order to improve it’s long-term appearance.
What Is The Fastest Way To Recover From A Tummy Tuck
The fastest way to recover from a tummy tuck is to have the surgery performed by an experienced and skilled plastic surgeon. The recovery period for a tummy tuck is dependent on several factors, including the type of procedure, your overall health and how far along you are in your pregnancy.
The average length of stay for a tummy tuck is two days in the hospital. You will likely need to take it easy for at least one week after surgery and avoid strenuous physical activity for two weeks following your procedure. Your doctor may recommend that you wear compression garments for up to three months after your surgery, which will help to minimize swelling, bruising and scarring.
It’s important to follow all of your doctor’s instructions during recovery so that you don’t experience complications such as infection or bleeding. You’ll also need to avoid certain activities while healing so that you don’t injure yourself further or cause any additional pain or discomfort.
You should be able to return home within 24 hours of having surgery if there are no major complications during or after surgery.