How soon after a TT/BA can you drive and/or run errands?

Thank you for your question. Most of my patients are usually off prescription pain medication within the first few days. I recommend patients get up and walk that first night of recovery. Most patients are ready to return to regular activities including driving and running errands in about 10 days after their Mommy Makeover. You will usually want to limit your heavy lifting within the first 6 weeks. Please consult with your surgeon prior to making the decision to go back to work. Best of luck.

Thank you very much
for your question. Many people are feeling well enough to resume some normal
activities, such as driving, in about two weeks. However, you may find that you
need more than 10-14 days before getting behind the wheel. It is important that
you listen to your body and do not drive if you are still sore or tired. Additionally,
all narcotic pain medications must be stopped before you begin driving again. I
recommend speaking with your board certified plastic surgeon about what to
expect after your tummy tuck and breast augmentation procedure. He/she can
explain the recovery, and then walk you through your healing process, as well
as talk to you about regaining clearance to drive.

With that combination, most of my patients are able to drive short distances at about a week or so. That should take care of picking up your kids from school. But you can’t drive if you are taking pain medications you will be taking. Each patient will heal differently, so your surgeon will be able to design a postoperative care schedule that will be optimal for you specifically. I typically have patients avoid strenuous activity until after 4 to 6 weeks. Prepare as much as possible before your surgery for things like meal prep, cleaning the house, driving the kids to activities, and other daily obligations.

You should check with your surgeon about this, for my patients I tell them that they usually can start driving within 7 to 10 days, return to work in 2 to 3 weeks and formal exercise in 6 weeks. Good luck!

The best advice will come from your PS as he/she will be aware of your progress in recovering from the TT and BA.  I only tighten the abdominal wall to return it to an anatomic norm rather than tighten it as much as possible. This produces a functional result without producing prolonged discomfort.  You will likely be bent over for a few days following the TT because of the tightening of the deep layer muscle fascia and the removal of lower abdominal skin. Two weeks recovery is probably a reasonable period of time before returning to a sedentary job or normal day-to-day activities. You should not engage in strenuous activity for 6 weeks although walking or light cardio, and short distance driving can likely be resumed at two weeks.  Kenneth Hughes, MD, Board Certified Plastic SurgeonLos Angeles, CA

Hello and thank-you for your question. A Mommy Makeover is a truly transformative process. The recovery, though, takes a bit of patience. Most of my patients elect to use Exparel for tummy tucks, body lifts, and breast reduction. The medication is injected at the time of surgery and lasts for 3 days.  It has been particularly helpful for our tummy tuck patients in that it allows them to get up and around more quickly. It is normal to experience pain and stiffness.  At 4 weeks post-operative, it is normal to feel fatigued.  Weight gain early in the healing process is frequently due to fluid retention.  It is normal to have intermittent swelling in the operative sites 4 weeks post-operative. To reduce swelling, I recommend to my patients that they wear the compression garments, limit salt and sodium, and drink plenty of water. If fluid retention persists, a diuretic (water pill) is prescribed. Lymphatic message may help.  However, I would advise that you take plenty of time off to recover. You are investing a great deal of time, effort and money into improving yourself, and you want to protect your investment by giving yourself the appropriate time to heal. Taking a week off may work if everything goes smoothly, but you would be better off taking at least 10 to 14 days of to be sure you will feel up to going back to work. If it is possible to arrange for a flexible schedule once you return allowing you to leave early will give you additional time if necessary. It is better to overestimate the time needed to recover rather than go back too early. It generally takes 6 weeks to get your energy back and feel back to normal.Close follow-up with your Plastic Surgeon and his/her nursing staff is essential for the optimal results. I encourage my patients to follow-up with me regularly and frequently for the best results. Best wishes during your recovery

The short answer is that everyone is different.  Some people bounce back quickly, some is takes a little longer.  Two weeks is usually enough time to regain most of your normal daily activities.  If you have the resources to take off three weeks, then I recommend you consider doing that.

That is a great question. I find in my practice, most women are back to driving and running errands after 2 weeks.  At this point, my patients are typically off narcotics and muscle relaxers during the daytime, allowing them to drive and make important decisions.

Hi there and thanks for posting,There is no one answer for this question. Everyone is different and recovers and different rates.It also depends how much tissue is being removed to a certain extent and whether or not the muscles of your abdomen need repair.The main limiting factor would be your TT as it can often limit how straight you can sit.For example I saw a TT patient today who is 9 days post op and she is ready to drive!!! Certainly some patients take a big longer.Two weeks would probably be on the early side, but I would think most would be driving by 3.My advice would be to have a back up plan set up, if you dont feel up to it. The instructions I give to patients are you can drive as soon as you can move freely and are off all pain medicationsI hope that helpsRichard

Your surgeon will be your best guide as each patient's recovery is unique.  In general most patients are able to be off of narcotic pain medication at two weeks post op and are cleared to return to driving.  I hope this helps.