Can’ t Sleep After Tummy Tuck?
Tummy tuck surgery, also known as abdominoplasty, is a procedure that aims to remove excess skin and fat from the abdomen to improve its appearance. It is commonly performed as part of a weight loss program or to correct a muscle separation after pregnancy. Although it can be performed alone, tummy tuck surgery is often combined with liposuction or breast lift.
After a tummy tuck, many patients complain of not being able to sleep well. This seems natural, but there are some factors which can significantly impact your sleep quality after tummy tuck surgery. We’ll look at those factors in this article.
Tummy tuck surgery may be performed under general anesthesia or local anesthesia with sedation. The operation usually takes between two and four hours depending on the extent of work required. A small scar will appear where the incision has been made, but this will fade over time.
Can’ t Sleep After Tummy Tuck
The first thing I want you to know is that we have a great success rate with tummy tucks and that the vast majority of patients are very happy with their results. That said, there are some complications that can occur from time to time, especially when we’re working on a part of the body that has such a high concentration of nerves and blood vessels.
The most common complication is bleeding under the skin (hematoma). This can be treated by draining the blood out or removing it altogether with sutures or staples. If this happens, it should cause no long term problems, but it will take at least 6 weeks before you see any improvement in your scars. You may have some redness around your incision lines or swelling on one side of your abdomen as well.
Another complication is infection of the incisions or infection in the abdominal cavity (peritonitis). If either of these happen, they require hospitalization and antibiotics in order for them to heal properly (and sometimes surgery if there is too much damage). In addition, peritonitis can become life threatening if left untreated.
This is not a normal condition. It is a sign of dehydration or possible infection. I would recommend you contact your surgeon and have him/her take a look at it.
I would suggest you drink plenty of water and take some ibuprofen (Motrin or Advil). If the swelling persists or worsens, go back to the doctor’s office.
If the above does not resolve the issue, you may need to see an ENT physician who specializes in sinus issues for further evaluation and treatment.
Sleep Position After Tummy Tuck
After tummy tuck, you’ll need to sleep in a position that will allow your skin and incisions to heal well. This means sleeping on your back for at least the first week after surgery.
In the weeks following your surgery, you’ll gradually be able to reduce your dependence on pillows under your legs and arms. By six weeks after surgery, you should be able to sleep on your side with minimal discomfort. You’ll continue to improve over time as the swelling goes down and scarring improves.
After surgery, the patient will be in a hospital bed. This bed is elevated to help reduce swelling and pain. The patient is usually given pain medication at this time, which will be continued throughout their stay at the hospital.
The patient may be asked to use a catheter for urination. This is done so that the patient does not have to get out of bed to go to the bathroom until they are ready to move around.
The patient will have drains in place that will drain fluid from the incisions on their body. These drains are covered by bandages, but you should ask your surgeon about them if you have any questions or concerns about them. When these drains are first put in place, they will be attached to IV fluids so that any fluid that drains from them can be replaced with sterile fluids from your IV line. If there is no fluid coming out of your drain(s), it usually means there is no more fluid inside of you and it has all drained out naturally through your incision sites (don’t worry – this is normal). Once there is no more fluid coming out of your drain(s), they will be disconnected from your IV line and removed (usually around 2-3 days after surgery).
After A Tummy Tuck When Can I Sleep On My Side
It is important to be able to sleep on your side after a tummy tuck. I tell my patients that they can sleep on their sides but they need to use pillows and padding in order to do so comfortably.
You will likely have some pain in the incision area when you go to sleep but if you are careful and take care of yourself, this should not be too much of a problem. If it becomes difficult for you to sleep on your side, then you should call your surgeon as soon as possible and share these concerns with him or her.
The answer to this question depends on what kind of tummy tuck you had. If it was a mini tummy tuck then you can sleep on your side as soon as you get home from surgery.
If however it was a full tummy tuck then it will be at least 6 weeks before you can sleep on your side again.
The reason for this is that in the full tummy tuck there are incisions made around the lower part of your breast and some of the muscle from the abdominal wall is removed and repositioned to give better contour and shape to the lower abdomen. This muscle will take time to heal before it can be safely used again.
The reason that sleeping on your side may cause problems after a mini tummy tuck is simply because there are no muscle incisions or dissection done in this procedure so it doesn’t matter if you sleep on one side or another until healing is complete.