There are several important things to know about recovery from this procedure. First, it’s important to take it easy for at least two weeks after the surgery. Second, you should avoid strenuous exercise or any activity that could put pressure on your abdomen until your doctor says it’s okay. Third, there will be some swelling and bruising around your incision site, but this should fade within two weeks after surgery. Finally, it’s normal for some pain and discomfort to occur during recovery – ask your doctor what medications are best suited for you!
This is a post-operative recovery from a tummy tuck. The patient is recovering from a tummy tuck, which is a surgical procedure that reduces the size of the abdomen by removing excess fat and skin. The patient is recovering from her surgery in the hospital, but she will be able to go home soon.
Read on to learn more on How Bad Is Recovery From Tummy Tuck, How Bad Is Tummy Tuck Recovery and Free Tummy Tuck After C Section
How Bad Is Recovery From Tummy Tuck
Getting a tummy tuck? Get ready to love the New You!
First, though, you have to get through the recovery, which is sometimes intense. During this several week period, there are a few pieces of information you should know, which will make your healing period easier. To that end, here are seven things to expect after a tummy tuck:
1. YOU WILL EXPERIENCE SOME PAIN, BUT THERE ARE WAYS TO MANAGE IT
Any invasive surgery comes with some pain, and tummy tucks are no exception. The surgery requires removing both fat and skin, and usually suturing the abdomen’s connective tissues as well, so that they hold together more tightly. All of this will cause pain, tightness and lack of mobility during the recovery period.
One option that your surgeon may offer you is a non-narcotic, non-opioid pain reliever called Exparel which is injected directly into the abdominal muscles, tissue and fascia during surgery. This long acting medication can reduce post operative pain for up to 72 hours. Exparel will add about $500 to the cost of the surgery, but the significant reduction in pain and increased comfort is well worth it for most patients.
Your surgeon will probably prescribe a strong prescription pain medication to manage the worst pain, typically felt during the first 3 days after surgery. You’ve likely heard of the opioid crisis, and it’s largely due to overuse of pain medications following injuries and surgeries. You should avoid opioids if you have a history of personal or family substance abuse. It’s also very important to take the pain medications exactly as prescribed, and to not take more than is necessary.
Typically your pain won’t be severe enough to require opioids for more than 3 days. As you heal and the pain becomes more manageable, you’ll be able to switch to an over-the-counter pain reliever. As long as you take your medications as instructed, you can minimize the discomfort you feel from a tummy tuck so that it is tolerable.
2. YOU MUST WEAR YOUR COMPRESSION GARMENT
Following the surgery, your physician will put you in a compression garment. This helps to constrict your abdomen, reducing swelling, promoting blood flow to the area as well as keeping everything in place during healing. While the compression garment may not be very comfortable, it’s critical you wear it for the full amount of time recommended by your doctor to aid in your recovery.
3. YOU WILL NEED TO TAKE YOUR MEDICATIONS DILIGENTLY
Physicians almost invariably prescribe antibiotics following surgery, even of the minor kind. That’s because the chances of infection increase following an invasive procedure, in which your body’s defenses are lowered due to open wounds. Antibiotics fight invading bacteria and reduce pressure on the immune system during your recovery, so it’s critical you take regular doses as prescribed.
This is especially important in the first week or two following the surgery, when infection and clotting are most likely. For that reason, depending on your medical history and if you are at a higher risk for blood clots, your physician may also prescribe an anticoagulant to make sure blood continues to flow freely through the area and supply you with healing nutrients.
Many doctors will give you your prescriptions ahead of time so that you already have them when you come home from your surgery. The same goes for pain medication, which you will need to begin taking the same day of the surgery.
4. RECOVERY CAN BE LONG, AND SOMETIMES FRUSTRATING
Life is busy! Between working, raising kids, exercising, socializing, maintaining your household, you’re used to keeping up with the demands and responsibilities of life so understandably, the recovery process can feel frustrating at times when you’re forced to slow down and focus on your healing.
A tummy tuck is a big surgery, as is a mommy makoever, so your main focus during the first two weeks should be on your self and your recovery. You will feel very tired and will want to sleep a lot, which is encouraged because your body heals when it rests. You’ll also need help doing the most simple tasks such as getting up and moving around, especially the first few days.
Despite this, you should try to maintain a reasonable level of movement while healing. You should try to walk every day to promote blood circulation and reduce your chances of developing a blood clot. As you start to regain some energy, you can ease back into simple tasks but avoid heavy lifting for 6 weeks. Listen to your body so that you don’t over-do it. The last thing you want to do is over-extend yourself and risk popping a suture.
Most tummy tuck patients can return to work after 2 to 3 weeks, and will be back to their normal energy levels by 5 to 6 weeks.
5. YOU WILL HAVE A SCAR
Many people worry about the tummy tuck scar. It’s true that you will end up with a lasting scar, just as you would with any incision. However, plastic surgeons endeavor to place this scar low enough on the abdomen so that it falls below the underwear line so that modest bikini bottoms and swim shorts will cover it. You may not be able to wear low-slung beachwear, but barring that, the incision will not be visible to others.
Although the final outcome of the scar is largely dependent on genetics and surgical technique, there are a few things you can do to minimize the appearance of the scar. Eating a nutritious high protein diet, using a scar therapy program such as Embrace, and protecting your scar from sun exposure are all things you can do to ensure that your incision heals in the best way possible.
6. YOU CANNOT SMOKE, OR YOU MIGHT HAVE ISSUES WITH HEALING
Many smokers don’t want to hear that they’ll need to limit their smoking, but it is imperative. Smoking decreases blood flow in your body, and that can be disastrous when healing after abdominal surgery. Your blood is what carries oxygen, nutrients and water to the injury site, helping it to knit together quickly with a minimum amount of scarring. Smoking, however, shuts down circulation and increases the chance of slow healing and tissue damage.
Therefore, you should plan to quit at least six weeks before your surgery and refrain from smoking during your recovery. Ideally, you can use this opportunity as motivation to quit completely. Some physicians will even refuse to do the surgery if they don’t feel you’re taking the smoking ban seriously, so wrap this into your pre-op preparations today.
7. YOU WILL NEED SUPPORT
Many people assume that they can “get around fine” after the first day or two of the surgery, but that’s not the case. Not only is a tummy tuck a major surgery, but you may not realize how much “heavy lifting” of daily movement that your abdominal muscles do. Once you have an incision in this area, every normal activity becomes more difficult. Movements such as reaching up high, sitting up, and even a cough or sneeze may be very uncomfortable indeed for several weeks.
That’s not to say you will need help during your entire recovery, but at a minimum, you should definitely arrange to have someone helping you for the first week after your surgery. You will need to help with child and/or pet care, making meals, getting in and out of bed, moving around your home, dressing and bathing. After about two weeks, you’ll be mostly back to your regular routine and able to finish your normal daily to-dos (except for exercise- you will need to wait 6 weeks to begin exercising again).
Despite the long recovery time and associated discomfort, 97% of those who have had a tummy tuck say it was worth it according to realself.com! With the right mindset and preparation, your tummy tuck experience should be relatively seamless and before you know it, you’ll be enjoying your flatter tummy and stronger core. Want to learn more?
How Bad Is Tummy Tuck Recovery
Tummy tuck recovery is a process that takes many months. Fortunately, the most challenging portion is typically over within the first two to three weeks (and the first few days are the toughest part of all). If you follow the post-operative instructions provided by your plastic surgeon, this time is likely to be much less uncomfortable with fewer complications. Here’s a rundown of the experiences you may encounter during your tummy tuck recovery period.
Post-Operative Period of Tummy Tuck Recovery
As the anesthesia wears off, you may feel dizzy, disoriented and nauseated. Some patients vomit immediately after surgery or on the ride home. These sensations should pass within a few hours, although some types of oral pain meds may cause the symptoms to recur. Your incision site will be covered with a dressing to keep the area clean and protected. You will also be wearing a wide elastic compression garment to keep swelling down and provide support to the skin as it tightens up. You will wear this garment for several weeks.
Depending on the extent of your abdominoplasty surgery, you may have tubes in your incision to drain away fluid that collects under the skin. These tubes will be removed within the first seven days. If you have traditional sutures, these will typically be removed within the first week or two (absorbable sutures won’t need to be removed). Your surgeon should provide you with detailed instructions for managing your drains, changing your bandages and showering during recovery. You will also be told whether you can put any ointment such as Vaseline on your incision to reduce discomfort.
Pain Management During Tummy Tuck Recovery
You’ll probably start taking pain medication (and antibiotics) right away. You will find it is important to take your pain meds on a regular schedule rather than waiting for the pain to become severe. The pills are more effective when you don’t wait for the pain to get out of control. Pain is typically worst during the first few days. After that, it should get a little better each day. Be patient; you may still be somewhat sore weeks or even months after the operation. You may also feel quite tired. That’s because your body is using a great deal of energy to heal itself. Get plenty of rest, stay well hydrated and eat nutritious food to aid this process. Since pain meds can cause constipation, you will want to eat plenty of fiber (and maybe some prunes) to keep your bowel movements soft.
Physical Movement During Tummy Tuck Recovery
Even though you won’t feel like doing so, you will need to get up and walk around occasionally starting the first day after abdominoplasty surgery as directed by your doctor. This activity helps limit your risk of blood clots and gets your blood circulating to promote healing. Other than that, you will spend most of your time resting and managing post-operative discomfort. Be sure to have plenty of pillows in your bed and on your recliner or sofa so you can create a comfortable “nest” to rest in. You will probably need to sleep and rest with your head and shoulders elevated for a couple of weeks as suggested by your surgeon. When you need to get up, don’t try to sit straight up. Roll to your side first and scoot over to the edge of the bed before gently easing into an upright position. This puts less strain on your tender abdominal muscles.
Besides walking and resting, you won’t be doing any other activities (pulling, pushing, bending, lifting, etc.) If you have a sedentary job, you may be able to return to it at least part time after a couple of weeks. However, some patients require a longer period of recovery before they feel well enough to go back to work. Exercise won’t be an option at all for the first few weeks. After that, if your surgeon gives the OK, you may begin light exercise and gradually work your way back up to your normal fitness routine over the next couple of months.
Normal Side Effects During Tummy Tuck Recovery
Swelling is a typical side effect of tummy tuck surgery. This swelling is usually severe during the first few days after the operation. Then, it will begin to subside. However, it can take many weeks for the swelling to completely go away. During this time, it will be difficult to tell what your new body contours will eventually look like. In fact, it may be six months before your body takes on its final shape. You may find it helpful to take photos of your tummy tuck recovery journey so you can see the changes and improvements from one week to the next. Ice packs and gentle massage (if recommended by your surgeon) may help with swelling and discomfort along the way.
You may have extensive bruising on your abdomen after the surgery. This is another normal side effect. After all, your skin was cut and then pulled away from the underlying tissue during the tightening stage of the tummy tuck. As long as the blood isn’t accumulating under the skin in large quantities (a complication called hematoma), you shouldn’t be concerned. The bruising will fade over a period of a couple of weeks.
Numbness, discomfort and other unusual sensations are normal – especially in the area directly around the incision. These sensations may persist for weeks or months. That’s OK as long as you aren’t experiencing severe pain. Sometimes, numbness may be permanent if nerves damaged during the surgery don’t grow back.
The incision will start out red or pinkish. As long as the redness doesn’t spread and isn’t accompanied by fever, this is not a sign of infection. The color should fade and begin to look more like your surrounding skin over time. This process can take a year to be complete. Even after full healing, the scars will still be visible. Ask your surgeon about products such as silicone sheeting that may encourage the scars to fade more quickly and completely during tummy tuck recovery. This is especially important if you are prone to keloid or hypertrophic scarring.
Emotional Aspects of Tummy Tuck Recovery
It’s normal to go through a period of emotional adjustment during abdominoplasty recovery. This is a major surgery which places a significant amount of stress on your body. Plus, it changes how your body looks (and initially makes it look worse with all the swelling and bruising). This can be difficult to cope with on top of the physical discomfort. Just remember that it is normal to feel anxious or depressed occasionally during the first week or so. You may wonder what you have done to your body and feel that you look ugly. You may become irritable and impatient with the family or friends who are trying to help you out. You may feel like your tummy tuck recovery will never end. If you have severe or ongoing depression, you should seek professional help. Otherwise, just be gentle and patient with yourself as your emotions will take a while to normalize.
Once your body starts to look and feel better, you will probably be glad that you went ahead with the surgery. You may feel more confident and satisfied with the contours of your body after a tummy tuck. You may also like the way clothes fit you better – as well as the way you look in a bikini!
Free Tummy Tuck After C Section
If you are feeling anxious about your tummy tuck recovery and are concerned about scarring, read on to learn more from dual board-certified aesthetic and plastic surgeon Dr. Nana Mizuguchi at Mizuguchi Plastic Surgery in Louisville, KY.
How can a tummy tuck help you?
The primary goal of tummy tuck surgery is to achieve a flatter, smoother, and more attractive-looking stomach area. Almost everyone has something about their body they don’t like. Men and women in the Louisville, KY area struggle with their midsection and turn to body contouring procedures, like a tummy tuck, for help. A tummy tuck, also known as abdominoplasty, is one of the top five cosmetic procedures performed every year throughout this country. The right candidates who have concerns about sagging skin or unwanted fat in their stomach area can look to a full, mini, or extended tummy tuck procedure to reduce or eliminate these pesky issues.
What scars after tummy tuck surgery can you expect?
Scarring is the body’s natural way to heal from a wound or incision by forming new collagen fibers to mend the area. When compared to surrounding tissue, the new scar tissue is visibly apparent due to its unique color and texture. However, scars from tummy tuck surgery will fade in color and be more flesh-tone in appearance after a few months. There are also different abdominoplasty techniques that patients can consider. A mini tummy tuck is less invasive and requires a shorter incision below the belly button. The recovery and incision for a mini tummy tuck procedure are less than that of a more traditional abdominoplasty. A full tummy tuck incision extends from hip bone to hip bone, along with an additional small incision around or in the belly button. If liposuction is necessary, other smaller incisions are made in the target area to eliminate any excess fat.
What happens to tummy tuck scars over time?
Tummy tuck scars will vary by patient depending on what type of body contouring procedure they needed. No matter what kind of tummy tuck procedure you plan for, following your plastic surgeon’s aftercare instructions will help any incisions heal and give patients the best possible outcome for scars after tummy tuck surgery. In general, it takes about 8 – 12 weeks for patients to be mostly healed from their abdominoplasty. However, it can take up to a year, so patients who want to undergo a surgical procedure to minimize the appearance of any scarring should wait at least 12 months. It is also imperative to use sunscreen and keep any incisions out of direct sun exposure to allow scars from a tummy tuck procedure to heal properly.
Are tummy tuck scars permanent?
Scars after tummy tuck surgery are inevitable, and even though they will fade, they won’t go away completely. A patient’s age, skin tone, and genetics also play a factor in how the body reacts to healing from any surgical incisions. Generally speaking, for the first month, scars from tummy tuck surgery are raised and red. They will slowly flatten and lighten in color. After about three months, the incision area(s) should be healed. After six months, a patient’s abdominal area should feel less tight, and scars should be faded in color, plus be smoother to the touch. Most patients can see their long-term tummy tuck results in about 8 – 12 months, with any scars from tummy tuck surgery being less dramatic and noticeable.