Tummy Tuck: Q&A

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When Can I Go Back to Work After a Tummy Tuck?

I am 35 years old and intend to get a tummy tuck. When can I go back to work? How long and why do I have to wear a compression garment after the surgery?

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29 Doctor Answers | Asked by hema gan in malaysia

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It depends on what work you do...

Most all of my tummy tuck patients are able to return to sedentary types of work within 7-10 days and approximately in 2 weeks if their work is more physically demanding. They can connect with work virtually by computer within 2 days, however, and this is a great advantage that didn't used to be possible. The compression garment helps to speed the healing of the skin and fat back to the underlying muscles. I ask my patients to wear it 24/7 for 2 weeks and on and off for another 2 weeks. ... more

Tummy Tuck Recovery-Two Weeks Return to Work- No Compression Garment

Thank you for your question. Generally I advise my patients to plan for a two week recovery after Tummy Tuck. While you should be able to work at a computer and be mobile after 4-5 days you need to not be under any stress during your recovery. Recovery also depends on the type of Tummy Tuck. Recovery from a Full Tummy Tuck with Muscle Repair will take longer than recovery with a Mini. Plan two weeks. If you recover sooner that will be a plus for you. I avoid compression... more

Return to Work After Tummy Tuck

The amount of time needed to heal before returning to work depends upon the type and extent of tummy tick, how your body responds to the surgery, and the duties of your job. Generally, 2 weeks is a good guideline for return to work; 6 weeks for return to all normal activities, including athletics.

Recovery after Tummy Tuck

I advice my patients to take 1-2 week off from work. Most are able to return to work after 1 week depending on the extent of surgery. Most of our patients receive an On-Q pain pump, which delivers local anesthetic into the surgical area. Most of our patients are able to go home the same day of surgery. Pain medications are prescribed. Most of my patients no longer require pain medications after 1 week and can control the pain using over the counter medications such as Tylenol. I... more

Tummy tuck and back to work

Different plastic surgeons have different ideas. I try and get my patients back to desk jobs by 10-12 days in most cases. I am very strong on getting them up moving asap and going up and down stairs etc. I also have all my pts shower the night after surgery, i.e. 24-36 hours later. It is best if you can go back for a light or shorter first day or two, to ease the transition back. However, every patient responds differently. At 35 years old, you are young and should bounce back quickly. For... more

Time Off Work After a Tummy Tuck

If you have a desk job, most patients can return to work after two weeks. But if you are on your feet most of the day, I would recommend going back part time. Listen to your body, if you are getting tired or swelling is occurring, you are doing too much. If your job involves heavy lifting you should wait at least six weeks. It is important to wear the compression garment for six weeks to get the best result.

Going back to work after a tummy tuck

Most patients can return to work approximately 2 weeks after a tummy tuck if they do not do heavy lifting (i.e., greater than 10 pounds). Support garments are usually required for 4 to 6 weeks depending on how much liposuction has been completed as part of the tummy tuck. The compression garment helps to mold the shape and create an even distribution of any fluid retention you might have post surgery. By the third or fourth week mild support such as Shapers or Spanx are usually okay for most... more

Tummy Tuck recovery time: depends on the type of work you do.

Recovery after a tummy tuck really depends on the type of work that you perform. I do not allow my patients to return to work while taking narcotic pain medicine, as that would be the equivalent of drinking alcohol at work. In general, patients need pain medicine for a minimum of 3 days, and most are off medications by 5 to 10 days. After stopping pain meds, patients can work from home immediately, and return to desk-work between 7 to 10 days from surgery. With the tummy tuck, I do a... more

Most of my patients return to work two weeks.

However, if my patients are having a full tummy tuck with muscle pilcation, I advise them to take about three weeks off. Most patients can do work on the computer fairly soon after surgery. The ideal senerio is to return to work on reduced hours in the third week. A total of six weeks before return to heavy lifting. Finally the more patients rest the first two weeks the faster they will heal and resume full daily activities. You need to wear the conmpression garment for six weeks to... more

Back to Work Post Tummy Tuck

Recovery times following a tummy tuck vary, but patients are generally able to return to work in one to two weeks, light exercise in three to four weeks, and full exercise in five to six weeks. Antibiotics and pain medicines are prescribed following the surgery.

Recovery after Tummy Tuck

Most of my patients return to work 2 weeks after a Tummy Tuck. By then most patients have all drains removed and though they can still be sore the pain is completely tolerable. Every once in a while, I will have a patient who takes an additional week to recover but two weeks is the standard answer.

Time off after tummy tuck

I believe in being honest with my patients and providing them with a conservative estimate as to how long they should expect to be out of work. It is better to tell a patient that they need two weeks off from work than to sugarcoat the recovery, have them return to work prematurely or, worse, to need more time off and incur the wrath of an employer in this terrible economy and job market. Generally, I recommend two weeks off after a full abdominoplasty. Patients may return... more

Compression Garments & Back to Work after Tummy Tuck

The compression garment your doctor recommends is an elastic garment that holds the tissue of your abdomen close to the body and helps the skin adjust to the new contours that the tummy tuck has created. The garment helps to prevent loose or sagging skin after the procedure and also helps control swelling, speeding up your recovery period. Most patients are able to return to work after a tummy tuck within two weeks (depending on the physicality of your job). Activities that require more... more

Return to work after tummy tuck

Return to work after tummy tuck depends on your job description and physical activity requirements. Unrestricted activities may not be permitted for a minimum of 6 weeks. However, in most instances individuals will return to desk type occupations at 2 weeks. Clearly this can be sooner or later depending on the extent of the tummy tuck and muscle repair. see video

Otto Joseph Placik, MD

32 reviews

Chicago Plastic Surgeon

Going back to work after a tummy tuck

After undergoing a tummy tuck, most patients will return to work within 2-3 weeks. However, it does depend on what type of work the patient performs. If one's job requires heavy lifting or strenuous activity, it can be 4-6 weeks or longer until one is able to return to their regular job. If the patient has a complication after surgery, this can also prolong the time period before returning to work. Compression garments are recommended to aid in the... more

Patients can return to work after a tummy tuck in about 2 weeks if no heavy lifting is required.

Obviously, returning to work is patient dependent. However, as a general rule, my patients are allowed to return to work in 2 weeks if they feel up to it. They are not allowed to engage in activities that target the abdominal muscles if fascial repair was part of the operation.

It's recommended to go back to work 10-14 days after tummy tuck...

It's recommended to go back to work 10-14 days after surgery (assuming the job is not strenuous). When tummy tuck is performed there is some swelling and it may feel tight. The garment is used to help tighten the skin as the swelling goes down and is to be worn for 6 weeks from your surgery date.

Return to work after a tummy tuck in 1-2 weeks

If your work does not involve any heavy lifting or strenuous activity, you may return to work in one or two weeks after a tummy tuck. You should avoid heavy lifting for about 4-6 weeks however. Most patients are off their pain medications by about one week, so you may feel up to returning then, but many will take a few more extra days to feel more comfortable. The recovery is not as painful as a C-section, if that helps put it into perspective for those patients who have had... more

Back to work after Tummy tuck is generally 2 weeks

Dear hema gan, Going back to work after a tummy tuck usually occurs at 2 weeks after surgery. This depends on multiple factors such as what type of work you do (2 weeks assumes a non-strenuous job such as working at a desk), how quickly you have tended to recovery from previous surgeries, and if any other procedures are done in conjunction with your tummy tuck. For the typical patient, who works at a desk, going back to work at 2 weeks usually means that you will still have some... more

What to expect afte a tummy tuck

These are all great questions. The duration of time needed off of work after an abdominoplasty, or tummy tuck, greatly depends on your occupation. Most of my patients with "desk jobs" are able to return to work after 7-10 days. Those with more labor intensive jobs need to take an extra 1-2 weeks off. As for your second question, I instruct my patients to wear the compression garmet for 3-4 weeks after surgery, 23 hours a day. This is very... more

Going back to work after a tummy tuck

The answer depends upon the type of tummy tuck you are having and what adjunctive procedures are being performed. For a standard tummy tuck with muscle tightening and some liposuction, I recommend at least 2 weeks off of work. Heavy lifting (> 10 lbs) is limited for at least 4 to 6 weeks. The binder is helpful to provide support and decrease the risk of fluid collections. I have patients wear this for 2 weeks day and night, then switch to daytime use as needed after 2 weeks. Because... more

David Bogue, MD

6 reviews

Boca Raton Plastic Surgeon

www.drbogue.com

Depending on your job duties, it can range from one week-three weeks

I find that patients who are self-employed and have desk jobs, can often start out working at home within a few days. When patients have to travel, climbing stairs, getting in and out of cars, I preferred that they wait 10 days before returning to work. I have not had any patients have problems with wound healing except patients who smoke tobacco products. I advise all my patients who smoke cigarettes to refrain from smoking for two weeks beforehand and two weeks after the surgery but in 26... more

Returning to work after tummy tuck

The first five days are the most difficult and painful for a patient so work at that time is not advised, but after about two weeks post op is appropriate. Although, each person and each case is different, so some people heal faster and have a higher pain tolerance while some others don’t. A compression garment is worn to help contract the skin and provide a support system for the area post operatively when the skin is healing from its fat being removed, and it also reduces... more

Going back to work after a tummy tuck

Every patient and every tummy tuck is unique. The type of tummy tuck depends on what areas you would like to address and what your specific goals are (please see the video below). Recovery for liposuction or a mini tummy tuck is much shorter than that of a full or extended tummy tuck. Return to work also depends on the type of job you have and your responsibilities (a waitress and a lifeguard have much more physically demanding jobs than data entrry, etc) During your consultation, talk to... more

Post-op care after tummy tuck

Usually patients can go back to work within a week or two. This usually occurs at about the time their drains are removed. I do not prescribe a compression garment like I do for liposuction patients but I do like them to wear an abdominal binder.

Steven Wallach, MD

12 reviews

Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Going back to work after Tummy Tuck

Pain is very personal. Most patients are back to work after abdominoplasty in about two weeks. Provided no heavy activity for 4 weeks. The garment is to decrease the swelling support the skin flaps together, and most patients feel more secure with it.

Going back to work after a Tummy Tuck

The amount of pain after a Tummy Tuck is dependent on the surgeon's use of either pain pumps or numbing the tightened tissues. As our recovery room nurses could attest, our patients are not in pain and do not walk bent over like "L's". You can read one of their accounts in the post below. The vast majority of our patients return back to desk jobs 7 - 10 days after a Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty). I prefer not to use a garment for the first week but like to use a soft garment the... more

Recovery time after a tummy tuck

In most cases, I would recommend taking at least 2 weeks off of work to recover. Avoid any heavy-lifting or anything strenuous which could cause complications. Depending on the activity level required at work you may want to request as much time you would need to heal and rest. This surgery is very invasive and you will want to consider staying hunched over for 4 weeks to avoid any superficial openings.

Tummy tuck Recovery

The length of recovery depends on the extent of the tummy tuck procedure and your own ability to heal. Generally, you can return to work in a week or two for most of our tummy tuck procedures, but this period can be longer.