What is a tummy tuck recovery like?

A tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) is one of the more painful and longer recoveries when it comes to cosmetic surgery.  I generally tell patients to plan on being not themselves for about 6 weeks.  During that time frame they wear a compression garment over the abdomen, avoid lifting object over 10#s and plan to not be able to stand up straight for several weeks.  There are generally 2-4 drains which stay in for 1-3 weeks.  No aggressive physical activities can be performed for a least 4 weeks including weight training, running, sports, yoga etc.  All my patients are able to walk out of the surgery center and get up to go to the bathroom with minimal assistance.  They get a pain pump to help control the pain for the first several days.  In general they are on narcotic pain medications for 2-3 weeks.  Follow up is pretty much weekly for the first month.  While recovery is rough almost all patients are thrilled with the results as you can see from the reviews of the procedure and high approval rating.    

One of the most exciting things about the the many surgical advances over the last 10 – 20 years is how the recovery from a tummy tuck has improved!Traditionally, it was a difficult and long recovery. Now with such techniques as the drainless tummy tuck and use of long-acting pain medications, the recovery is much, much quicker and more comfortable. My patients typically have a recovery that allows them to get back to work in as little as  1 to 2 weeks after their operation. With the use of the drainless tummy tuck, their pain is less, they are able to stand fully upright almost immediately after the operation and the results are simply much, much better. We use a medication called Exparel that gives about three days of pain relief immediately after the operation. Traditionally, that was the toughest time, but now it is a non-issue!Certainly, the most important factor to consider in choosing a surgeon for your tummy tuck is that they are certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and have significant experience with this procedure.I wish you the best,Dr. Gabbay.

Thanks for the question. Generally, abdominoplasty involves a recovery period of longer than most plastic surgical procedures. It generally takes 3 weeks to get over the first phase of recovery. However, downtime for abdominoplasty can vary from patient to patient, depends on the size of the operated area of your body.The exact downtime will be determined by your surgeon according to your surgery results. I wish you all the best.

There are several types of tummy tucks with varying recovery times which are most dependent on ones personal tolerance to pain. Mini can return to work in about 3 days, modified TT in 1 week, and the full standard TT 10 to 14 days. In my practice there is no heavy lifting or exercise for 6 weeks and no crunches for 1 year.I know perform Full TTs using Exparel on every case that is a 72 hour local anesthesia which has revolutionized my patients outpatient  TT experience with more rapid recovery. 

Abdominoplasty results in a scar similar but longer to cesarean scar which stays hidden inside the underwear or bikini. After the operation, the patients can easily stand up and walk. They need to stay at the hospital for 1-2 days after the operation. They may return to daily life approximately 10 days later. Corsets should be used for 3 weeks in order to preserve the firmness of the abdominal skin. Patients may start doing heavy exercises after 6 weeks.
Abdominoplasty might be enhanced with a liposuction operation in order to ensure body shape. In this case, slim waist may result in a more feminine appearance. It might be performed with other body aesthetic operations such as breast reduction, breast lift, arm or thigh lift. This way, we can resolve many problems with only one shot.
Female patients who gave birth recently must wait for at least 6 months before abdominoplasty. If breastfeeding is ended after this duration, abdominoplasty operation can easily be performed. It would not pose any problems to get pregnant after abdominoplasty; however, it is more convenient to perform all operations after all pregnancies to ensure permanent results.

I appreciate your question very muchJust tell me operation as a fairly predictable recovery period. In the first few days after the surgery there will be some discomfort, there will be a need for you to hydrate well, and they were also be a need for you to ambulate. These are really important activities which will help you to heal faster, and much better, and avoid complications.After about 3 to 4 days, most of the pain from her tummy tuck will be gone. However you will likely be hunched over slightly, still need help to get in and out of bed, and it will be important for someone to stay with you for additional support. After about one week, you will likely feel about a 70 to 80% recovery and you will be more independent. It is unlikely that you will be driving yourself at that point.Once your recovery enters the second week, you should be completely done with any pain pills, you will likely only experience some soreness in the mornings, and some swelling in the evenings. However you will be getting along much better, moving in and out of bed by yourself, and likely thinking about driving and doing other normal activities around your house. By the time you reach the second week, you will likely be able to drive to work. At work, you’ll be able to do some normal activities such as answering the phone, taking notes, writing down or typing and generally getting around the office rather well. Heavy duty activity, such as lifting, and moving heavy items will not feel very good and will not be recommended by your doctor. If you have a desk job, you will likely feel pretty good at work. If you’re a nurse or someone who is very active at work you might need Another week before you feel closer to 100%.In the third and fourth week of your Recovery, you’ll feel more like yourself, be occasionally sore in the mornings and might require a little acetaminophen during the day, but overall you will be getting closer to 100%. You should be independent, and with a little luck maybe even start doing some light aerobic exercise with your doctors approval of course!Most patients, at this point begin to forget about discomfort and start focusing on their swelling. Swelling will be an ongoing issue for several months after the operation and I often will recommend that patient see a special massage therapist to bring the swelling down. Having a good diet which avoid alcohol, refined sugars, And fast food will be important for maintaining the progress that the tummy tuck has made for you. The final result of your operation with the current one year.

Hi, thank you for your question. 
An abdominoplasty, or tummy tuck, procedure can take a great deal of physical and emotional stamina to go through. In recovering from the surgery, you should keep in mind that the final results will not be evident for many months and that you will need a support system to help you for the first few weeks. 
In the early part of recovery, you may feel exhausted and I recommend that you have someone with you at all times for the first week. During this time, you will be walking with a slightly forward flexed posture - this is to alleviate any tension on the incision and will improve gradually over 2 weeks. Walking is encouraged in the immediate post-op period to decrease the chances of developing blood clots.
Post-op pain should be expected for the first week, but can be minimized or even eliminated with the use of liposomal bupivacaine (or Exparel), which is injected into the area of sensory nerves going to the abdominal wall. If you prefer not to have this injection, the use of narcotic medication will help with the pain, but may cause constipation. 
You should expect to feel better and be able to return to normal activities within 2 weeks, but should refrain from gym/sports until 6 weeks after surgery. 
If your surgeon uses closed-suction drains, these will usually remain in place for 1 week and will be removed in the office without discomfort. 
I hope this helps! Good luck in achieving your aesthetic goal. 

Thanks for your question. Healing after a tummy tuck is usually retty straight forward.  There is a process of swelling and bruising that peaks at 3 days after surgery and then undergoes the first stage of major resolution in the first 2 weeks after surgery.  The lateer phase of healing takes place over the 2-3 months after surgery where everything really settles and softens.  It is after this time that we are getting close to the final result, though this varies patient to patient.  Patients can return to light activities almost immediately after surgery, normal activities 2 weeks after surgery, and vigorous exercise 4 weeks after surgery.  We usually experience a slow steady improvement for 3 months or so after surgery.

I like to divide the recovery into a social recovery and an exercise recovery because they are different things. If we assume that the tummy tuck you are going to have will involve some form of midline muscle repair then it will be about 4-6 weeks until you will be able to return to physically demanding jobs and exercise routines. At this point you should aim to take it slow and build up to your pre-operative fitness rather than going for a personal best in the gym.

It helps to be in good shape prior to your surgery because it makes the post-op recovery easier. Line up all the support you think you’ll need in advance so that you can concentrate on your recovery afterwards. Younger patients tend to recover faster than those that are older. Ultimately it will depend on your individual situation and your plastic surgeon would be the best placed to give you the most accurate assessment.

Kind regards
Alex Phoon

thank you for your question,
In the post-operative period, you will be able to lie in a position that we call V position, thereby reducing the tension that will occur in your surgical area. This position is the position in which your body is uplighted to 45 degrees from your waist. From time to time, you can bend your knees and bring your legs closer to your body, allowing you to lay your torso down at the waist. You are asked to move your legs frequently from the first hours after the operation.
A medical corset will be applied after the operation. This adjustable pressure corset is used to help keep your surgical area still and prevent swelling.
You are not allowed to eat anything in the first hours after surgery. Usually, the first nutrition happens with liquid foods. After you have a comfortable gas pass, you will be fed with soft food. In the first weeks after surgery, you should generally increase the number of meals and keep the amount limited, avoid gas-forming foods.
The first day after the surgery is the most troubled period. Painkillers and occasional sleeping pills are used to get you more comfortable in this period. The first few days there may be swelling and pain in the abdominal area. However, this pain can be controlled by painkillers. The drains are removed for an average of 1 to 3 days, and non-dissolvable stitches on the skin are removed 1 to 3 weeks. There is no need to take the dissolvable stitches applied as hidden under the skin.

Good question. The recovery from tummy tuck has changed over the past few years due to advances in pain management. It used to be that for two weeks after surgery, there would be a very tight, uncomfortable sensation in the area of the midsection. This would take approximately 6 weeks to resolve completely. Pain medicines were mandatory. Now, the recovery is significantly easier due to long acting numbing medicine that blunts the pain signals after surgery. The first product that was used was the On-Q pump, which was a reservoir attached to a catheter placed in the surgical site. This slowly dripped lidocaine into the surgery site for a couple days. I have switched from the On-Q to exparel, which is a time release formulation of bupivicaine. This has the advantage of not requiring an external pump, and is just easier to manage. The effect lasts for 2-3 days, and dramatically reduces the need for oral pain medicines. Generally patients take off one week, and are back at work after that. Complete resumption of all activities is in 4 weeks. Matthew C Camp MD