Activities to Avoid After Tummy Tuck Surgery?

You have hired a surgeon to take care of you because you trusted his skill and judgment.   Listen to him. My patients are eased back into activity and generally are fully athletically active by 3 months.  But every patient is different and we titrate activity to the specific course of the patient.

Hello ktn. It's completely normal to have questions about recovery after undergoing a full tummy tuck. Let's address your concerns about activity restrictions, posture, garment use, and how to recognize if you're straining your muscles too soon.

Activities to Avoid:

Heavy Lifting: Avoid lifting anything heavier than a few pounds for at least six weeks. Lifting heavy objects can strain your abdominal muscles and compromise your sutures.
Strenuous Exercise: Avoid vigorous exercise and activities that involve intense abdominal movements until your surgeon clears you. This typically means waiting 6-8 weeks post-surgery.
Bending and Stretching: Activities that involve significant bending, stretching, or twisting of the abdomen should also be avoided during the initial recovery phase.
Posture and Standing Straight:

It's common not to be able to stand straight immediately after a tummy tuck due to the tightness of the newly positioned abdominal tissues and muscles. Gradually, as the healing progresses, you'll be able to stand up straighter. This process might take a couple of weeks.
Using Your Abdominal Muscles:

After a tummy tuck, you should be cautious with using your abdominal muscles. Basic movements like getting out of bed or a chair should be done using your arm strength to avoid straining your abdomen.
If you pull a muscle or a stitch, you might experience a sharp increase in pain, noticeable swelling, or even a popping sensation. Contact your surgeon immediately if you suspect any of these issues.
Compression Garment Usage:

The reason for wearing a compression garment is to reduce swelling, provide support to the abdominal area, and help the skin conform to the new body contours.
While the garment should be snug, it should not cause pain or discomfort. If it feels too tight, discuss adjusting it with your surgeon or nurse. The garment typically needs to be worn for several weeks, often 4-6 weeks, but specific duration can vary based on individual recovery and surgeon’s advice.
Listening to Your Body:

Pain is a good indicator that something might be wrong or that you might be doing too much too soon. Always follow the pain as a guideline, and if activities hurt, scale back or avoid them until you've healed more.
Follow-up and Consultation:

Keep all your follow-up appointments with your surgeon. These visits are crucial for assessing how well you are healing and when it is safe to resume various activities.
Recovery from a tummy tuck is a gradual process, and it is crucial to follow your plastic surgeon’s post-operative instructions closely. By taking proper care and avoiding certain activities during the initial recovery phase, you can help ensure a smooth and successful healing process. If you have any doubts or unusual symptoms, don't hesitate to contact your surgical team.

Sincerely,

J. Timothy Katzen, MD, FASMBS, FICS
Plastic Surgeon

Abdominoplasty removes excess abdominal skin while
simultaneously tightening the abdominal muscles.Patients can anticipate limited physical
activity for ten to fourteen days following surgery.I typically tell my patients bathroom and
kitchen privileges initially with slow resumption of normal activities over the
next two weeks.Patients can usually
return to work in two weeks if no strenuous activity or heavy lifting is
involved.After eight weeks, they can
resume all their normal activities including heavy lifting.It’s important to go slowly at first and
listen to your body.Patients
typically wear an abdominal binder for three weeks following surgery.This garment should fit snugly, but not too
tight.This minimizes swelling and
increases comfort.Patients should
gradually resume an upright position as tolerated.For
many patients, abdominoplasty is a life changing experience.This procedure improves self-esteem, self-image and self-confidence
which ultimately results in an improved quality of life.

It is not specifically the strict weight of lifting that concerns us but the use of the stomach muscles. I have had one person. who was accustomed to having a bowel movement everyday, strain so intensely that they ruptured the muscle repair.

Our concerns with lifting are related to two features:

1.The potential for bleeding in the first 24 hours and then again between 7-10 days
2.The possibility of rupturing the muscle repair. This can occur anytime for 6 weeks after surgery.
However, the limitations are subject to interpretation and, in my practice, I advise patients to be cautious for 2 weeks. When lifting children, I ask that friends or partners place the child in your lap or that you use your legs and thighs to lift.

KTN,
The best advice is to follow the instructions from your surgeon. However, in most cases, I tell patients that it takes about one week to stand up straight. You should not lift anything heavy (more than 5 pounds) for the first six weeks. Basically, your body will tell you if you are pushing it too much. As much aerobic (walking) activity that you can do is great. Good luck.

Tummy Tuck RecoveryThe first 2-3 days after surgery there is a good amount of pressure and tightness from repairing the stretched rectus muscles. The feeling is similar to a hard workout. We usually prescribe pain pills such as Norco (Vicodin) or Percocet and a muscle relaxant such as Soma or Flexeril. You will need help from someone the first 2-3 days. A drain is placed which is removed at approximately 1 to 1.5 weeks. Most people usually go on with light normal activities at that time. No heavy lifting or exercising for 6 weeks. The results will be visible right after the procedure. It takes several months for the swelling to subside. Generally, patients wear the compression garment 6 weeks and longer if necessary. Best of luck, Dr. Michael OmidiAn in-person exam with a board-certified plastic surgeon is the best way to assess your needs and provide true medical advice.

Each surgeon has his or her own postoperative directions to be followed after a tummy tuck (abdominoplasty). There are however some generally accepted guidelines that most surgeons agree on. In the performance of a full abdominoplasty the skin and fat layer has been elevated off of the underlying muscle layer. This creates two large surface areas that have to heal and seal the space between the two layers. As long as the space remains open and the raw surfaces remain, drainage will continue. Drainage stops when the two surfaces have completely healed and no space remains tween the two layers. This normally takes between ten and fourteen days to occur. During this two week period if there is too much activity these two surface areas continued to shift back and forth over each other preventing adherence and delaying the healing process. For that reason it is best to plan on remaining home for two weeks and keeping activity to a minimal level to allow for the greatest chance of healing and the cessation of drainage. It is important to keep the wounds clean to prevent infection. Patient's should not sleep with their pets. This will help prevent infection. If the muscle has been tightened it is important not to engage in strenuous core activities for at least eight weeks. Aggressive abdominal exercises should not be performed for twelve weeks. Resolution of swelling is different from patient to patient. Most often the swelling is gone and the final result is realized within 6 -8months.
A well performed abdominoplasty can be a truly life changing experience. For patients to have the best chance for a good outcome and is very important to strictly follow the postoperative directions of their surgeon.My simple and illustrated video may help you--learn more about tummy tucks and other body contouring procedures.

Congrats on your new abdomen.  You will need to take care and watch your activity level following this procedure.  Generally, I encourage compression garment wear for 4-6 weeks postop.  You will gradually be able to stand up after 10-14 days.  Light activity (light aerobic activity) can be started when the patient feels up to it.  I also instruct patients to back off of any activity should they feel any pulling.  I always stress avoidance of activities that cause any sudden tensing of the abdominal wall for 8 weeks and then after that time a very gradual resumption of core body excercises.

Tummy tucks are a very popular and effective way to contour the abdomen and tighten your waist. They can address the loose muscle into it on the wall as well as extra fat and stretch marks in the abdomen. In our practice, we provide our patients with two compression garments to help them during the recovery process. These garments apply even compression throughout the treated areas and provide support. We asked our patients to walk as much as possible after their surgery. This exercise will help open their lungs, prevent some fevers, and stimulate their appetite. We ask that our patients wait for at least 5 to 6 weeks after their surgery before returning to the gym for exercise.

To learn more about tummy tucks, see photos, and help you decide which one is best for you, please visit us at the link below:

Every surgeon suggests different things for post-op care, therefore you should really call your doctor's office. In general, I have patients wear an abdominal garment for 3-6 weeks. I have them limit aerobic acitivity for 3-4 weeks ,and then heavy lifting and sit-ups for 6-8 weeks. Patients usually are told to keep slightly bent for about a week.