What Food Should I Eat After a Tummy Tuck?

The
nutritional status of patients following abdominoplasty is extremely important.
This ultimately effects wound healing and the patients overall recovery. For
this reason, it’s important to have a healthy well balanced diet. Other than
avoiding excess salt intake, no specific restrictions exist.

There are no food restrictions after a tummy tuck, however as you mentioned avoiding salt is good. Eat a well balanced diet high in protein. Good luck.

A healthy well balanced diet as well as staying well hydrated is recommended. Most Board Certified PS provide detailed post-op instructions at patient's pre-op appointment.

An important aspect after a tummy tuck procedure is the potential for weight gain. After surgery you are unable to do any real exercise for the first 6 weeks and potentially at risk of over eating. The best way to avoid this is to make serous concious efforts to control diet and start walking as soon as you are able to.  I encouraged lots of fibre and fluids to minimise any bowel problems and to consume small healthy meals with plenty of protein, fruit and vegetables.

A healthy diet rich with fresh vegetables and fruit as well as protein sources are great. Basically, a healthy diet is good for anybody, whether you've had surgery or not.

The best suggestion is a well balanced diet. I am not an advocate of extreme diets or pushing any one vitamin or supplement. A healthy diet with fruits vegetables and adequate protein is essential to providing all the essential nutrients for building tissue following surgery.

This is for a tummy tuck  and really is applicable for any type of surgery and diet is critical to healing both BEFORE surgery and after surgery. I suggest eating a very clean diet completely free of processed foods and eating only Whole Foods that you prepare. So this really means fresh fruit, fresh vegetables and fresh meat. If you eat this way you will not have to worry about carbohydrates and salt and all those types of things. Just eliminate anything that has been processed. This will give your body all of the nutrients it needs to heal.Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Plastic Surgery
Member, Florida Medical Association

Thank you for the question.

There is no specific “recommended diet” for the post-tummy tuck patient. A well-balanced diet with high fiber and a good protein source would obviously be helpful. Adding a protein shake ( to each meal) if necessary may also be helpful especially if your appetite is curtailed ( which often happens during this period). Frequent hydration is also important.

Best wishes.

A healing body needs a normal balanced diet rich in proteins and especially essential amino acid. To do well do NOT diet after surgery. Doing so will impact on your healing and the quality of scars. Instead, focus on getting a balanced diet rich in proteins and you will do well.

Dr. Aldea

Any major surgery has significant nutrional requirements. This is not something to be started after surgery, but must be begun a few weeks before. A high protein diet, not protein powders, but a diet with sufficient amounts of eggs, fish, chicken, beef, etc, helps prepare the body to heal. After surgery, the same diet continues, but I place my patients on a stool softener such as Milk of Magnesia to help with the now more highly compressed intestines and plenty of fluid intake. Check with your plastic surgeon, however, for their specific recommendations.Sincerely,Thomas C. Wiener, MDHoustonthis information is not a substitute for a consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon