How Long Does It Take to Heal from a Tummy Tuck and Breast Lift
When you’re considering getting a tummy tuck and breast lift, you might be worried about whether you can handle the recovery. Tummy Tuck surgery can be performed for a variety of reasons. While it’s mostly desired for weight loss purposes, it also is used to correct some deformities of the skin and other organs in the abdominal area. Breast Lift surgery is also known as mastopexy, and is performed on those who have sagging breasts or want to make them appear larger.
A typical tummy tuck has a recovery time of about 2-4 weeks. But it all depends on the patient and how they handle their pain management. Also, if your body is not healing as fast as the predicted stages of post-operative healing suggests; it could be due to various factors like: malnutrition during pre-op, not taking care of yourself post-op, working out too soon after surgery and many other things that might come up. read more on Tummy Tuck Recovery Time Off Work/warning signs after tummy tuck.
How Long Does It Take To Heal From A Tummy Tuck And Breast Lift
Recovery from a mommy makeover is a process.
The first few days after surgery are typically the most uncomfortable, and you may experience some pain. You may also feel some numbness in the area of your surgery. When you wake up in the morning, your surgeon will likely have given you an opioid pain medication that can be taken as needed for discomfort.
You will be able to get out of bed and walk around after only a day or two of recovery, which is quite an improvement over the previous methods of liposuction and tummy tuck recovery. Liposuction has been shown to take up to six weeks before patients are back on their feet again. The same goes for tummy tucks—it used to be that women would have to stay in bed for four or five days after this procedure.
You’ll be able to drive within two weeks of surgery, but you won’t resume normal activity for four to six weeks after surgery. Your surgeon will give specific instructions about how much exercise is safe during this time frame.
It’s important to avoid lifting anything heavy for at least three months after your procedure so that your new breasts don’t sag prematurely or suffer other complications such as bleeding under the skin called seroma (pronounced: seh-roe-muh).
Recovery from a mommy makeover can be a long process. While the surgery itself is quick, you’ll still need to take it easy for several weeks and avoid strenuous activity for several months.
The length of recovery will depend on exactly what kind of procedure you had done, and how much work was involved. For example, if you had a full tummy tuck, you’ll probably need longer than someone who just had liposuction. You’ll also have different timelines depending on whether or not you had any liposuction done in addition to breast augmentation or other procedures.
Tummy Tuck Recovery Time Off Work
The amount of time required to remain home from work depends on the exact procedure, the patient’s age, overall health, and several other factors. The following are general guidelines for various types of plastic surgery.
The tummy tuck, medically known as abdominoplasty, requires approximately two weeks off work for full recovery. Most people can work at a computer after about four to five days, but plastic surgeons usually recommend two weeks to avoid any unnecessary stress on the body. A mini tummy tuck requires less time at home than a fully tummy tuck with muscle repair. Patients can expect to return to complete mobility by the end of the first week after the procedure.
Blepharoplasty
The decision to go back to work following eyelid surgery depends on how self-conscious a patient feels about co-workers knowing that he or she had this procedure. Blepharoplasty patients should plan at least one week at home, but that may stretch to closer to two weeks if they desire for all visible signs of the surgery to disappear. It is easy to disguise the bruising and swelling with sunglasses when going out for the first several days after the eyelid surgery.
Breast Augmentation
Due to variables such as type of implant, incision site, and whether the patient’s job is physically demanding, there is no set amount of time to take off work after a breast augmentation that applies to everyone. However, patients should plan on at least one week at home before returning to work. The plastic surgeon will let breast augmentation patients know the amount of down time recommended after evaluating all of the patient’s individual factors.
Rhinoplasty (Nose Reshaping)
Patients need to wear a splint for approximately a week after a nose job. They are free to return to work at any point after that. If they are unconcerned with people knowing about the surgery, they should feel physically well enough to go back to work in two to three days after the procedure.
Rhytidectomy (Face Lift)
Most plastic surgeons recommend staying home from work for two weeks after a face lift. The face will be bruised and swollen and time at home is required for proper healing. If visible signs of the face lift are still present after two weeks and the patient must return to work, the plastic surgeon should be able to provide suggestions on the best types of makeup to disguise any light scars or remaining bruises and swelling.
warning signs after tummy tuck
A common side effect after any surgery is swelling. You can expect swelling for about 10 days to two weeks after surgery. If the incision area remains swollen, tender, red, or feels hot to the touch, you may have an infection.
Bruising That Doesn’t Fade
You can anticipate bruising for about 10 days to two weeks. If the bruises last longer than 10 days, spread, deepen in color, or become hard to touch, then it may be turning into a hematoma.
A hematoma occurs when the blood pools under the skin but doesn’t drain. This may require our team to perform another procedure to drain the blood.
Continual bleeding can increase the time it takes for the wounds to heal and means it is not healing properly. Contact us right away should the bleeding last longer than a few days.
Tissue Necrosis
This is also known as tissue death and can occur after any surgery. During the normal healing process, dead tissue cells should be eliminated. If the incisions appear abnormal in appearance, your surgeon will need to take a closer look.
Heat and Fever
A fever is a universal sign of infection. If you begin running a fever and the incision sites feel excessively warm to touch, it is possible that an infection has set in.
Possible Infection
Pain after surgery should be manageable and improve after a few days. Any unusual collection of fluid, discharge coming from the incision site, or strange smells could be a sign of infection and should be addressed with your surgeon immediately.
Blood clots require immediate medical attention. Patients can reduce their risk by walking the first few days after surgery to keep circulation going throughout the body.
Infection. The risk of infection is low with tummy tuck surgery but possible if there is a delay in seeking treatment. Get medical care if you notice pus from an incision site, increasing redness around the wound or fever higher than 101 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius).
Fluid buildup. A small amount of fluid buildup is normal after tummy tuck surgery but more than two liters of fluid — even if it’s clear — can indicate a problem requiring medical attention.