How do you sleep after having a tummy tuck? It depends on what kind of surgery you’re having and what you want. If you had a tummy tuck with liposuction, you might feel some pain where the surgeon took fat from your stomach or thighs. But after a few days, this should go away. You’ll also feel soreness around your belly button and lower back, but this should go away, too.
If your surgery involved a cut from hip to hip, it’s normal for the stitches to feel tight for a few weeks afterward. Most likely, the pain will go away on its own, but if it doesn’t or if you have any other worries, you should call your doctor right away. Most of the time, patients can get up and move around right after their procedures, but it’s important to follow your doctor’s instructions and not put too much stress on yourself or your incision sites until your doctor tells you otherwise.
Read on to learn more about How Do You Sleep After A Tummy Tuck, How Long Is Tummy Tuck Recovery and Tummy Tuck Revision For Loose Skin
How Do You Sleep After A Tummy Tuck
As you prepare for your tummy tuck recovery, you may begin stocking up on healthy snacks and adding new TV shows to your watchlist. One thing you may not be thinking about is how you’ll need to adjust your sleeping position after tummy tuck surgery. However, sleeping correctly after a tummy tuck is essential for proper healing and a successful outcome. Board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Alex Mesbahi and the expert team at Mesbahi Plastic Surgery in McLean, VA take great care to ensure patients are well-educated and properly equipped for a comfortable and efficient tummy tuck recovery. Learn more about what you can expect after tummy tuck surgery here, including how, why, and for how long you may need to sleep in a different position.
What does a tummy tuck do?
Formally known as abdominoplasty, the tummy tuck is an incredibly transformative body contouring procedure that aims to sculpt a flatter, firmer, slimmer abdomen primarily through excess skin removal and skin tightening. Liposuction is commonly performed in conjunction with tummy tuck skin removal in order to remove stubborn fat and produce an even more pleasing result. Concerns that can often be improved or corrected with tummy tuck surgery include:
- Extra skin after weight loss or pregnancy
- Loose skin
- Stomach pooch or pouch
- Diastasis recti
- Hernia
- Stubborn abdominal fat
How does a tummy tuck work?
During Washington, D.C. tummy tuck surgery, which is performed using general anesthesia, Dr. Mesbahi will place a strategic incision on the lower abdomen, just above the pubic line. The length of the incision will vary based on whether the patient is undergoing a mini, full, or extended tummy tuck, which depends on how much skin needs to be removed. Through this incision, Dr. Mesbahi is able to tighten and reinforce the abdominal fascia (muscles), remove unwanted fat, and trim excess skin. At the conclusion of the case, the remaining skin is pulled taut over the newly sculpted abdominal contour and secured with sutures.
How Long Is Tummy Tuck Recovery
The details of tummy tuck recovery may vary somewhat depending on the patient’s natural healing process, activity level, whether any additional procedures were performed, and other factors. Generally speaking, however, most patients can expect to be able to return to work and light activities about 2 – 3 weeks after tummy tuck surgery. Exercise, heavy lifting, and other strenuous physical activities may be off-limits for up to 6 – 8 weeks or longer. Throughout your tummy tuck recovery, Dr. Mesbahi will closely monitor your healing progress and let you know when it is safe and appropriate to resume all of your normal routines.
It is important to keep in mind that tummy tuck is typically a fairly extensive procedure and requires patience and commitment during the postoperative period. The first week is usually characterized by bruising, swelling, and discomfort, though these symptoms should greatly improve after about 10 – 14 days. Following your surgeon’s tummy tuck aftercare guidelines is essential for the quickest and most comfortable recovery possible.
Can I sleep on my side after tummy tuck?
In addition to eating a healthy diet and restricting certain physical activities, sleeping properly is an important part of tummy tuck recovery. The best sleeping position after tummy tuck surgery is on your back with your upper body elevated to create a slight bend or angle. Using pillows or sleeping in a recliner is ideal to achieve this position. This helps to take any pressure or strain off of your incision and reduces the risk of postoperative complication. If you are typically a stomach or side-sleeper, the thought of sleeping on your back at an angle may sound less than ideal. However, most patients find that the position to be naturally more comfortable during tummy tuck recovery.
What if I roll on my stomach while I’m sleeping after tummy tuck?
Because you should be sleeping on your back with your upper body elevated, it is less likely that you will roll to your stomach than if you were sleeping flat on your back. However, patients are encouraged to use extra pillows or rolled-up towels around their sides to create a nest-like structure that prevents tossing and turning. Sleeping in a recliner is also a fantastic solution for maintaining an appropriate sleeping position after tummy tuck surgery.
When can I sleep on my stomach after tummy tuck?
Depending on the nature and extent of your procedure, you may need to continue sleeping on your back at a bent angle for about 3 – 6 weeks or longer. In some cases, patients who undergo a mini tummy tuck or less extensive procedure may be able to return to stomach-sleeping earlier. However, it is important to follow Dr. Mesbahi’s postoperative guidelines closely to avoid possible complications or delayed healing. During your tummy tuck follow-up appointments, Dr. Mesbahi will evaluate your progress and let you know when it is safe to sleep on your stomach again.
Tummy Tuck Revision For Loose Skin
Unfortunately, it is easy to find pictures of bad tummy tuck scars and dog ears on the internet. It is also possible to find ugly belly button scars after a tummy tuck that could not be covered up by tattoos or belly button rings. Seeing the pictures of tummy tucks gone wrong and reading patient tummy tuck reviews and testimonials it makes women who are not happy with their tummy tuck results be extra careful when searching for plastic surgeons who specialize in tummy tuck revision surgery. Women should not only review many tummy tuck before and after pictures, but also find tummy tuck revision photos and reviews from the tummy tuck specialist who they are consulting with.
Although good aesthetic results are planned, there is no guarantee or warranty expressed or implied that these results may be obtained by any plastic surgeon. A person might be disappointed with the results of their tummy tuck, abdominoplasty, body lift, thigh lift or other cosmetic surgery, due to asymmetry, highly visible surgical scar or their location, unacceptable visible deformities, bunching and rippling. The skin near or at the incisions may heal poorly, wounds may disrupt, and sensation can be altered in the areas of surgery or adjacent to it.
TUMMY TUCK REVISION
Tummy tuck scars can sometimes be revised or at least relocated to a less visible location. It is not uncommon for Dr. Younai to see patients who have had their tummy tuck incision placed too high, just under their belly button. These women are often unable to hide these scars under a bikini.
This scar can often be lowered to where it can be hidden under a bikini. Another common complaint is the appearance and the size of belly buttons or the umbilicus after an abdominoplasty. The belly button scar and shape can be optimized with minor revision surgery.
Unwanted bulging and protrusion of the abdomen after a tummy tuck can be caused by several things. First, it is not common for some women to gain weight after a tummy tuck which can cause accumulation of fat in certain areas of the abdomen and flanks.
Second, tightening of the abdominal wall muscles can become undone with either heavy lifting, or weight gain. There are even times when the plastic surgeon might not have performed a complete tightening of the abdominal Rectus Muscles along its entire length. This can also be revised similar to repair of a ventral hernia or incisional hernia.
Smoking or use of Nicotine products can be detrimental to the results of a tummy tuck. Nicotine causes sever chocking of the small and delicate blood vessels that supply blood to the umbilicus and the other areas of the abdominal skin. Therefore, smoking can cause death of the umbilicus or the abdominal wall skin. If this happens, Dr. Younai can possibly revise your abdominoplasty and repair or reconstruct these wounds.
Having said this, it may not be possible to fully correct, revise, or improve upon the result of your tummy tuck. During your consultation, Dr. Younai will review your treatment options for revision tummy tuck procedures, including pros and cons of each procedure, potential risks and complications, recovery course, pre and post operative instructions, and esthetic outcomes. There are also many before-and-after pictures and high resolution images of abdominoplasty available in our photo gallery.
THE PROCEDURE
Tummy tuck scar revision is done with the goal to lower the tummy tuck scar into a position where it can be hidden under a bikini, as well as to make the abdominoplasty scar thin and faint. To fix tummy tuck dog ears a plastic surgeon has to combine scar revision surgery and liposuction of the flanks. Belly button scar revision is performed in order to make the umbilicus smaller and inverted.
At times the entire tummy tuck surgery has to be redone or revised in order to repair stretched abdominal muscles, to remove stretch marks, and to revise the entire tummy tuck scar. This makes tummy tuck revision recovery as long as, or even longer than the original tummy tuck recovery. You can find tummy tuck recovery tips on this tummy tuck specialty website that will help to speed up your recovery time.
COST
Tummy tuck revision surgery cost varies depending on the cost of scar revision, liposuction costs, or even the cost of full tummy tuck revision. The advent of plastic surgery financing can lessen the pain of paying for a tummy tuck revision!
RECOVERY
In order to help get a successful tummy tuck result you should familiarize yourself with tummy tuck post operative instructions and absolutely refrain from smoking or using Nicotine products since they damage abdominal skin circulation and can result in the death of the umbilicus or reopening of your incisions, which is called wound dehiscence.