Duration of Hospital Stay Post-Tummy Tuck?

Abdominoplasty has become an outpatient procedure. However, unless the patient is undergoing a mini-tuck, we require our patients to spend a night in the Aftercare facility or the Hospital, if the surgery is performed there. Nurses at the Aftercare can monitor the patient's vital signs and are trained to look for signs of trouble and alert the doctor. From a pain control standpoint, a registered nurse can give injectable pain medicines. They can also give medications for nausea, sleep, anxiety, etc. Most Aftercare facilities with an RN also have a pulse oximeter, to measure the oxygen in the blood.
Without question, Aftercare is comforting to patients. It is also, in my opinion, safer than going directly home.

Hello diedelee,

Thank you for your question regarding the duration of hospital stay after a tummy tuck. In most cases, tummy tucks are outpatient procedures, meaning they do not require a hospital stay. The majority of my patients undergo tummy tuck surgery and are able to return home the same day to recover. They typically choose to recover either in an Airbnb, hotel, or at home if they are local to my practice. However, some patients opt to stay in a recovery center for a night if they do not have someone available to assist them at home during the initial recovery period. Ultimately, the decision depends on individual circumstances and preferences, but rest assured that most tummy tuck procedures do not involve a hospital stay.

If you have any further questions or concerns, please feel free to ask.

Best regards,

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

Thank you for your question!
Tummy Tucks are usually out patient surgery. After the surgery you will be in the recovery room for a short time. Reach out to your surgeon for his /her protocol. Best wishes!

Most of my patients having a tummy tuck will spend at least 2 days in hopsital. Most patients are medically fine to go home at this stage, although some may benefit from another day or two in hosptial.

When patients
undergo abdominoplasty safety should be everyone’s first priority.For this reason we believe that
abdominoplasty should be performed in a fully accredited surgical facility by a
board certified plastic surgeon with a board certified anesthesiologist in
attendance.When these criteria are met abdominoplasty
can be performed safely in either an inpatient or outpatient environment.In our practice, the vast majority
of abdominoplasties are performed on an outpatient basis.Occasionally when patients have co-existing
medical problems the procedure is done on an inpatient basis.Outpatient abdominoplasty offers a
variety of advantages including convenience, affordability and privacy.For this reason, we perform the majority of
our abdominoplasties on an outpatient basis.

My own experience shows that overnight stay is safer and more comforting to patients than going directly home.In some cases like mini-tuck, when my patient is in good condition ( normal blood pressure, adequate level of pain) and willing to go home where he has a relative available for aftercare, I let him go home.But in most cases I prefer my patients to stay overnight in the hospital.The aftercare nurses can monitor the patient's condition and look for first signs of trouble and alert the doctor. There is possibility of unmanaging pain or vomiting that requires very fast reacting.So, in my opinion there are more guaranties for safety with overnight stay.

I do not recommend staying in a hospital after tummy tuck surgery- the RNs on the ward are working hard and taking care of a variety of patients. They simply won't devote the time and effort that a family member would if you stayed at home. 

Some surgeons send patients home immediately after an abdominoplasty.  There is nothing wrong with that in most cases.  I like to keep my patients in our overnight facility (I own my own surgery center) for the patients well-being and my peace of mind.  I have never had to keep a patient more than one night.

In my practice all patients spend the night after a tummy tuck (abdominoplasty). In some cases patients feel more comfortable adding one or two more nights in the hospital though that is unusual. Most patients go home the next day.

You can find more information about abdominopasty on the attached link.

I hope this info helps...

Hospitals are for sick people, not patients recovering from cosmetic surgery. Safety is very important, so I send all of my tummy tuck patients to an outpatient, nurse-supervised recovery retreat for a minimum of one night.

As you can see, the vast majority of plastic surgeons perform their tummy tucks on an outpatient basis.
However, I do admit patients overnight if:
1. they have other health conditions such as sleep apnea which require monitoring
2. they are having combined procedures
3. they have no one available for postoperative care
4. there is a history of prior adverse or unatincipated reactions to anesthesia
5. the procedure is significantly more involved i.e., extended tummy tuck with expected immobility
etc.
The fact that this has been recommended would suggest that there might be more to your condition. Alternatively, it could mean that your surgeon wishes to have you closely monitored, which is a good thing.
I hope this helps