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Is It Necessary to Wear a Girdle After Tummy Tuck?

My doctor says I don't have to wear a girdle after my tummy tuck. Is this normal? It seems other doctors require this.

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compression garment girdle

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15 Doctor Answers | Asked by clea91 in chicago, illinois

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Many treatment options when it comes to tummy tuck

There are a multitude of approaches when it comes to post-operative care. The general tendency is to wear a compression garment to compress the skin against the muscle with the intention to limit swelling (edema), minimize fluid collections (seroma) and prevent localized bleeding (hematoma). Kind of similar to squeezing your nose when you have a nose bleed. Some physicians use drains while other's don't. In those that don't, they may use a technique called quilting sutures to make the skin... more

A binder helps minimize fluid build up after tummy tuck

I request that all of our abdominoplasty patients wear a binder during the first three weeks post-operatively. One of the biggest enemies cosmetic surgery patients face after surgery is swelling. What's the point of reducing or tightening an area through liposuction, facelift, or in this case abdominoplasty if you're not going to try to control the amount of post-operative swelling that can significantly reduce what you accomplished in surgery? Ours is a multi-step program. We ask patients... more

Compression after tummy tuck is not necessary and a matter of surgeon preference

I have been performing abdominoplasties for 25 years and have never used a postoperative binder or girdle. Suction drains are always used with abdominoplasty because the raw surfaces created tend to leak a fair amount of serum in the first week or so postop. These remove the fluid that accumulates and helps the raw surfaces stick together. Surgeons who use binders or girdles cite their beneficial compressive effect. However, the blood supply to the "flap" of abdominal skin and... more

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Few factors to consider in wearing garment after Tummy Tuck

If the tummy tuck is done without liposuction, wearing the garment is not as strict and it is mainly for comfort and protection. I always make sure that the garment is not tight at all during the first few days to avoid any pressure necrosis on the abdominal flap. If lipousction is done at the same time, I keep it loose in the first few days and ask my patients to wear it for 4-6 weeks afterwards to help with the swelling. Hope that helps!

Binder use after Abdominoplasty is up to the surgeon

This truly is a preference of the surgeon, and should be discussed in advance of any procedure. I will suggest, however, that many surgeons, myself included, insist on the patient wearing a binder (similar to a girdle) for a period of four to six weeks after the surgery. The reasons for this are many, but suffice to say that many surgeons see it as a valuable and useful form of treatment after the abdominoplasty.

Most use a binder or girdle

Although each surgeon has their own preferences and techniques, most use some sort of postoperative support. Patients like the support provided by a binder. It helps with movement after surgery and decreases discomfort as well as help with swelling and fluid buildup. I would ask your surgeon the reasoning behind foregoing the binder. They will usually provide an answer that is acceptable depending on their surgical techniques such as using drains and/or quilting sutures.

Elastic support necessary for first month after Tummy Tuck

It is necessary to wear some type of elastic support garment (girdle) for the first month after a tummy tuck. After that it usually is not necessary.

Girdle after tummy tuck

Most surgeons require compression of some sort after a tummy tuck. During surgery, the skin is disconnected, the deep layer is tightened and the skin then sticks down to its new home. Compression allows the skin to stick to its home and reduces the tendency of fluid formation. Also, if liposculpture is performed during the procedure, compression helps to reduce bruising and swelling, and may actually improve the eventual result.

Compression garment after Tummy Tuck is doctor's personal choice

Clea91, It is not essential that you wear a girdle or compression garment after a tummy tuck. Some doctors recommend it others don't. If the tummy tuck result is good then I don't think a girdle will improve results. I often use an abdominal binder, not too tightly, after a tummy tuck, just for patient comfort. It is important that the girdle or compression garment not be too tight if one is used. I have seen patients who have had skin damage and actually lost skin after a tummy tuck when... more

Is It Necessary to Wear a Girdle After Tummy Tuck?

Most surgeons in the past had insisted on compression garments but with the more frequent usage of progressive tension sutures many are not using the garment postoperatively. Sometimes it depends on how tight the repair is or if there is a possibility of a seroma.

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