What do you advise for out of town tummy tuck patients? How long should you stay in town?

HiI usually recommend sticking around until the first post-op visit, about 5-6 days after tummy tuck surgery.  If it is only a couple hours drive then my patients can go home the next day so long as all is well and come back for their 5-6 day followup.  If they come by flight then I advise to get travel cancellation in the event I want them to stick around for any reason after that visit.  I am very hands on so like to make sure that my patients are well cared for after the fact.  Once they go home we usually do Skype or phone consults in lieu of the regular followup visits.  However, the understanding is that they would come and see me if there are any concerns.  Dr Rodger ShorttOakville Plastic SurgeonAssistant Clinical Professor &Director of Cosmetic Surgery Training Program,McMaster University

That is a good question, and I think the answer is, it depends. I think most of my patients after a tummy-tuck alone opt to go home; if they have a several hour drive, sometimes they will stay the night at a local hotel or at the surgery center. Following an abdominoplasty, I usually see patients at about 1 week and 2 weeks out from surgery. So, as long as the prospect of driving back to see your physician at their recommended intervals sounds okay, you should be good going home. The challenges seem to arise in patients who travel very far for their surgery. If you have to take a flight to your surgical destination, it certainly complicates routine follow-up and it makes evaluations for unexpected concerns very challenging.