If I travel to get a tummy tuck, how often am I required to visit my doctor for follow up vists after procedure is done?

How often and how many follow up visits are needed for patients who travel for plastic surgery variandependingnon the procedure, patient, and doctor.Some patients require only one visit in the office postop then follow up virtually, sending pictures and emails.Safety is paramount, so have a thorough discussion about this with your doctor. 

Thank you for your question. Each surgeon will have their own after surgery protocol for seeing you in their office, so best to check with them directly.  In my practice, assuming a normal healing response, patients are seen 3-5 days, 7-10 days, 3-4 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, and at a year after surgery.  Hope that this helps.

Each surgeon will have a different postoperative protocol.  The operation should be tailored to your specifications and anatomy to produce a dramatic result. Seek out a plastic surgeon who has performed these combination procedures hundreds of times and has a great number of reviews and before and after pictures.Kenneth Hughes, MDBeverly Hills, CA

You can expect routine follow up examinations at 5 days, 10 days, 3 -4 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months , 6 months following surgery.  If you have problems expect more frequent follow up examinations. 

It's ok to travel for surgery, but know that in the unlikely event of a complication it maybe harder to manage from a distance. Typically I recommend that patients stay within driving range. Tummy tuck follow up is slightly different for every surgeon, but for my traveling patients I see them in 7-10 days, then 6 weeks, then 6 months, and then at a year. Also, make sure you lose your baby weight before proceeding with surgery.

If you had your tummy tuck with a doctor near you, you would probably have at least 3 or 4 postop appointments during the first two months. I doubt that you could keep the same schedule with a doctor that is far away. You may want to discuss your postoperative appointments in detail, and ask your doctor if he/she has any agreement with a surgeon more local to you that would cover in case of problems. Good luck!

Thanks for sharing your question. I can
appreciate your concern.

The usual follow ups are:1 week after, 2nd and 3rd week for drain removals,6 weeks, 6 months, and a year.





Finally, make sure that you have a
consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon.

Wishing you the best in your journey

First of all thank you for the question.  After Tummy Tuck surgery (Abdominoplasty) you can expect to have a number of follow up visits.  I normally see my patients the day after surgery, and for the next 1-4 weeks while drains are in and to monitor for any complications. Then I will usually see them at 3 months and 6 months.  Every Plastic Surgeon has there own post op protocol. I recommend carefully considering whether or not you will be able to make your follow up appointments, if you feel you can not, certainly stay closer to home.  As always I recommend consulting with a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon.  Best of Luck.

 I generally suggest that patient's stay close to home when it comes to undergoing extensive surgery such as tummy tuck surgery.  For this reason, I ask my longer distance patients to stay in town for 2 to 3 weeks after this type of surgery.As you can imagine, post op care and management of any complications are an important part of the process.  Timing and frequency of follow-up visits will vary from one practice to another. Make your decisions carefully… Best wishes.

Thanks for your question.Each plastic surgeon has different surgical and post-surgical protocol.If your plastic surgeon utilizes drains, you will need to see your plastic surgeon weekly until you have your drained removed.  I normally see my patients at 1 week, 2 week, 3 week, 6 week, 3 months, and 6 months.Please talk with your plastic surgeon about his/her post-op care protocols.Although tummy tuck is a very safe surgery, you want to follow up with your plastic surgeon regularly so that your plastic surgeon can monitor your progress.Best regards.