After a stomach tuck, patients must slouch over or stoop at the waist when walking for about a week as part of the healing process. Though a reasonable worry for potential patients, this safeguard is only transitory.
You ought to be able to perform simple tasks around the house and walk unassisted by the end of the week. Week Two: By the conclusion of week two, you should be able to walk for 10 to 15 minutes twice day. By forming this habit now, you’ll be better able to maintain your fitness after your belly tuck.
We’ll go over additional details about hunching over after a belly tuck in this post, along with advice on how to recuperate more comfortably.
When Can I Walk Straight After Tummy Tuck
After a stomach tuck, you will be instructed to walk bent over for the first week. But, patients typically do this naturally because the tightened skin and muscles make it difficult for them to stand up straight.
Also, stretching the abdomen might be unpleasant at first, so it’s a more comfortable position, especially for people who have a stomach tuck with muscle restoration.
Recovery One Week After Tummy Tuck
One week after a belly tuck, it’s typical to feel a great deal better because you can walk more upright and with less back strain.
Moreover, the post-surgical swelling will have started to go down by this point, allowing patients to resume some activities. Follow our recovery advice and belly tuck survival guide to guarantee a speedy recovery.
Types of tummy tuck surgeries
A cosmetic surgeon may recommend one of the following tummy tuck surgery procedures to help give you a firmer, flatter, abdominal contour with minimal scarring:
Mini Tummy Tuck: If you’re mainly concerned about stretch marks and loose skin below your belly button, then the mini tummy tuck surgery is the ideal option. This procedure involves making one horizontal incision below your belly button, from which your surgeon then effectively tightens the loose abdominal muscles. Surplus skin is also removed to create a flat and firm abdominal wall.
Mini tummy tuck surgeries usually take a relatively shorter time and will often have a faster recovery time, along with minimal scarring. Expect a thin scar, usually a couple of inches, along with a firmer and flatter lower abdomen.
Full or Classic Tummy Tuck: This tummy tuck addresses both the upper and lower abdomen areas and will typically yield great results in removing excess fat. Your cosmetic surgeon will use either a U-shaped or horizontal incision below the belly button or the navel. Excess fat and skin are then eliminated to achieve a slim abdomen that looks natural.
The full or classic tummy tuck will typically leave a longer scar due to the extensive incisions required. However, the scar will hide below a swimsuit bottom. This type of tummy tuck benefits includes a considerably smoother, slimmer abdomen with fewer stretch marks and more comfort wearing skirts and pants.
Extended Tummy Tuck: The extended abdominoplasty is the standard tummy tuck that includes recontouring the flanks, hips, or even lateral thigh. It is quite useful for those who have experienced significant weight loss and are now dealing with excessively saggy skin on their abdomen. In most cases, the surgeon will perform liposuction around the flanks during the tummy tuck.
What to Expect When Straightening After Tummy Tuck
Straightening Happens Gradually
You should be aware that after one week, you won’t be able to raise yourself into an entirely upright position. Instead, the process of straightening following a belly tuck is sluggish and gradual, with the majority of patients regaining their upright posture in two to three weeks.
Don’t Push Past Uncomfortable
Your body will signal to you the extent to which it can straighten each day, and you shouldn’t force yourself into an upright position if it’s uncomfortable. As not all patients will recover at the same pace, it’s important to listen to your body when recovering.
Attend Your Follow-Up Appointment
After 1-2 weeks of your surgery, you will have your first follow-up appointment. At this time, you can discuss any concerns you have about your posture and recuperation. In order to make sure that your scars won’t be affected when you correct your posture, your surgeon will carefully examine your incisions.
Don’t Do Any Heavy Lifting
As you recover from a tummy tuck, it’s important to avoid any heavy lifting as this will place strain on the abdomen, which in turn can interfere with the healing of incisions and the formation of scars. Depending on the type of tummy tuck you underwent, you will need to avoid any heavy lifting for 3-8 weeks.
Sleep While Elevated
After a stomach tuck, patients are encouraged to sleep elevated and on their back while recovering. This can be done by utilizing cushions or a recliner. Sleeping in this position will safeguard your wounds, decrease abdominal tension, and lessen the chance of complications following surgery.
When can i bend over after tummy tuck?
The short answer is: you can start bending over after your tummy tuck.
The long answer is: it depends on the type of tummy tuck you had, how much time has passed since your surgery, and how well you’ve healed.
If you had a traditional tummy tuck, where a surgeon removes excess skin and fat from the abdomen, you can start bending over at about six weeks post-op. If you had a mini-tuck or brachioplasty surgery (where only your lower belly is removed), it might be closer to eight weeks post-op before it’s safe to bend over without damaging your incision line or causing complications.
It’s important to remember that there are many factors that can impact how quickly or slowly healing occurs. These include: your age; the extent of your body mass index (BMI); the type and location of incisions; whether or not fat grafting was performed; if there were any complications following surgery; and if any drains were used in the healing process.
As always, check with your doctor before attempting any activity that could potentially cause harm or injury.
What to wear after tummy tuck surgery
FIRST WEEK OF RECOVERY
As your abdomen heals, you may have soreness and swelling. For comfort, continue to wear soft, comfortable, loose-fitting clothing. Some women opt for roomy dresses instead of pants and a top. It’s up to you whether you feel more comfortable in a dress.
The abdominal compression garment should be worn at all times (except while bathing). It helps minimize swelling and promote optimal wound healing and scarring. Dr. LoVerme will let you know how long to wear your compression garment. Some patients are advised to wear the garment (or a similar Spanx garment) for up to six weeks or longer.
AFTER HEALING
After you have healed from surgery and the swelling has completely resolved, you will probably find that your wardrobe fits differently — namely, that pants and shorts are looser around your smaller abdomen. Most people go down a size or two (or more). You may opt to have your existing clothing altered by a tailor to perfect the fit, or you may treat yourself to a shopping spree for new options.
Even if you still wear the same size after surgery, your clothing should fit and flatter you better. You shouldn’t have a “muffin top” or a “spare tire” around your waist that hangs over jeans or pants. Your waist should look leaner and flatter, allowing you to try styles you never thought possible.
Some patients opt to accentuate their newly sculpted waist by adding stylish belts. A wrap dress is a classic piece that hugs a woman’s curves after tummy tuck. Skinny jeans and shorts are also more flattering with a firmer and leaner waist.
Gaining Weight After a Tummy Tuck
Patients may gain weight after their tummy tuck for a variety of reasons. By understanding how weight gain happens in the first place, you can do a better job of avoiding these pitfalls.
Lifestyle
The most common culprit of unwanted weight gain is simply unhealthy lifestyle choices. Eating high-calorie foods while living a sedentary lifestyle can cause you to gain weight quickly. If you want to maintain a slim, lean figure, there’s no replacement for a balanced diet and regular exercise. No matter how many plastic surgery procedures you decide to undergo, establishing healthy habits is the best way to look and feel your best.
Hormones
Your hormone levels fluctuate throughout the course of your life, starting first in puberty. They can also change depending on your diet, genetics, or age. If your hormones are unbalanced, your body may gain weight at a dramatic rate. If exercise and healthy eating aren’t enough to correct the problem, try talking to a doctor to see if you can be tested for a hormonal condition.
Stress
Stress puts pressure on nearly every part of your body and nervous system. It often causes people to eat more and sleep less—two things that both contribute to weight gain. Stress can also cause hormonal issues like the ones mentioned above. If you’re going through a tough patch, try activities such as exercise or journaling to help put your system back in alignment.
Post-Surgery Water Retention
Surgery puts a lot of strain on the body as it attempts to recover and heal. Sometimes water is retained in the spaces between your organs, leading to a bloated appearance. Swollen hands and feet can be a sign that you need more time to naturally process these fluids. Try to stay active and carefully follow any post-op instructions given by your doctor.
What Are Your Options for Tummy Tucks?
There are several distinct kinds of belly tucks, each using a different surgical method and varying in invasiveness. In order to choose the best stomach tuck procedure for you, Dr. Tillo will do a complete evaluation, taking into account a number of variables, such as the degree of skin laxity.
Full Tummy Tuck
Patients with moderate to severe skin laxity around the abdomen are good candidates for a full tummy tuck. Two lower abdominal incisions are required, one over the bikini line and the other near the belly button. The belly button can then be relocated for a natural-looking result once the loose skin has been removed and any muscle separation has been corrected.
Overall, a full tummy tuck creates a more toned and flatter upper and lower abdomen, while alleviating medical concerns associated with weak abdominal muscles.
Mini Tummy Tuck
A mini tummy tuck is a less invasive procedure than a full tummy tuck, and is most suitable for patients with mild to moderate skin laxity. During this procedure, a small incision is made at the base of the lower abdomen, and the lax skin is removed. The mini tummy tuck removes loose skin in the lower abdomen only, and does not typically involve muscle repair.
A mini tummy tuck can help to remove a pooch left behind after pregnancy or a c-section, creating a flatter, more contoured lower abdomen.
Extended Abdominoplasty
Targeted by an extended tummy tuck are “love handles,” or slack skin across the lower flanks and abdomen. A bikini line incision that covers the lower flanks and extends past the hip bones is required for this treatment. An incision is also created around the naval similar to a traditional stomach tuck. Following the removal of any loose skin and correction of any muscle separation in both locations, the belly button is then relocated.
The extended tummy tuck produces a more comprehensive transformation of the midsection compared to other abdominoplasty procedures.
Fleur-de-Lis Tummy Tuck
Typically as a result of bariatric surgery such a gastric bypass, a fleur-de-lis tummy tuck is a specialized operation created for people who need excess skin removed after experiencing significant weight loss. An incision must be made down the full bikini line, from the rib cage to the midline of the abdomen, making it a more invasive stomach tuck surgery. The superfluous skin is then vertically removed, the muscle separation is fixed, and the upper body sees dramatic benefits.
Preparing for Your Tummy Tuck
You must be within a safe BMI level before having your abdominoplasty surgery at CREO Clinic. Consider using our dietician services if you are having trouble controlling your weight and achieving your target BMI. Our dieticians can assist you in doing so.
In addition, ensure that you have help for any household tasks, such as cooking and childcare. During the initial stages of your tummy tuck recovery, your body will need time to rest. You should also practise sleeping on your back prior to surgery, as this will be advised for the first 4-6 weeks of your recovery.
Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty) Recovery
Following an abdominoplasty, patients typically need at least 12 weeks to fully heal before they may resume all of their normal activities, including strenuous exercise. However, after 1-2 weeks and after starting modest activity again after 3–4 weeks, the majority of tummy tuck patients feel ready to resume most of their everyday activities, including going back to work.
You might experience some discomfort, bruising, and swelling in the affected area during the recovery from a stomach tuck, but these side effects will eventually go away. To reduce your swelling and ensure a speedy recovery, you might also want to get a series of lymphatic drainage massages.
You will be given detailed instructions on managing your recovery and be scheduled for two follow-up visits with your tummy tuck surgeon in London one week and eight weeks after your procedure to assess your recovery.
Tummy Tuck Results
The results of a tummy tuck are immediately visible as the removal of excess skin reveals a noticeably flatter stomach. However, it may take 6-12 months for the final results of your tummy tuck to be revealed, after all the residual swelling has entirely dissipated. Furthermore, the speed at which swelling dissipates and results emerge depends on the type of tummy tuck surgery you underwent. Therefore, the less invasive the procedure, the quicker you will see results.
Once you have achieved your final results from a tummy tuck, you can enjoy the full effect of a more toned, firmer, and flatter stomach free of unwanted skin.