Bowel Cleansing Before Tummy Tuck

It is not essential and I would not be alarmed. Plastic surgeons who prescribe bowel cleansing, like myself, believe it helps with comfort after the surgery. Since that is discomfort from the tightening of the muscles and you will be on narcotic medications, there is a tendency for constipation and straining after the surgery.
By having your bowels emptied there will be a less likelihood for straining and discomfort.
Good luck.

It is my inpression that the vast majority of plastic surgeons do not use bowel preps. Therefore I would not be overly concerned. Therefore, even the liquid diet is more than adequate in most instances. To minimize postoperative constipation from the narcotic analgesics, I frequently advise my patients to begin stool softeners and mild laxatives soon after surgery.

There are 2 reasons cited for bowel preps:
1- Have empty bowels in case there is injury to the bowel. This is highly unlikely in a routine tummy tuck, unless there is an associated hernia repair or other intraabdominal procedures. In this case I leave the decision to the general surgeon in charge of the intraabdominal part of the procedure.
2- to prevent straining or constipation after surgery which may endanger the muscle repair if the patient pushes too much. The risk is increased with use of narcotics, which are needed for pain control, as narcotics by themselves cause constipation.
I think the use of stool softeners a few days before surgery, and the use of pain pumps, which vastly decrease the need for narcotics, are more than enough to eliminate constipation as a factor.