How long till I can stand straight after tummy tuck with muscle repair? (Photo)

Because each patient heals at his or her own pace, it's tough to say how long you'll need to avoid standing up straight. Certainly plan to wait at least 1 week, and possibly longer. Because your surgery is mostly cosmetic and not functional, your own recuperation will probably be on the shorter side. However, it's important to double-check with your surgeon, who better knows the details of your surgery.

Hello, and thank-you for your question.The recovery following a tummy tuck depends on the extent of surgery (mini, modified, full, or extended tummy tuck), the amount of liposuction, number of additional procedures performed, ect.  There has been a break through in the technology of post op pain relief for tummy tucks.  A new medication named Exparel is now being used that will provide for 3-4 days of post op pain relief, speeding up the recovery process!  The procedure can be done as an outpatient, but an overnight stay may be recommended.  Individuals will generally take a week to 10 days off of work.  Most of my patients are able to stand upright at 2 to weeks. It is normal to still feel tired and not quite yourself 3 weeks after a tummy tuck with liposuction. Swelling begins to subside in 3 weeks and it may take 6-8 weeks to resolve.  My patient report that they typically start to feel better 2 to 3 weeks after the procedure and report feeling "normal" 6 weeks post-operatively. With my own patients, I do my best to keep the lines of communication open and do everything possible to speed their recovery. Best of luck, Andrew Lyos, MD, FACS Tweet

You may find yourself hunched over for a few days post op; this can be attributed to a combination of repair and incision.  The muscles have been irritated to a certain extent by plication and the surgery itself.  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.  The abdominal wall may need several months to get accustomed to the changes.  You should be walking normally by week 3 but perhaps at a slower pace.  Kenneth Hughes, MD, Board Certified Plastic SurgeonLos Angeles, CA

Usually you only need 1 week after a tummy tuck of walking bent over.   After this you should be able to lay flat and walk normally.  A walker helps during this first week for support. 

Thank you for sharing your question. In general most patients can stand upright by 2 weeks after surgery and are walking normally by 3.  I hope this helps.

Most of my patients can stand straight after about 5-7 days.  Each patient may be different and each surgeon may approach the abdomen differently.  Best to ask your surgeon what is typical for his patients.

Usually I ask my patients to start straightening up after about a week.  However, everyone is different and your PS will monitor your progress.  I can say that you should definitely be standing straight and walking normally before three weeks.

Thank you for your question. I am somewhat confused, you discuss muscle repair, but also mention there is no sign of a diastasis recti. If there is no separation of the rectus muscles, you would likely not need to undergo a muscle plication. Nevertheless with my patients receiving a tummy tuck and rectus muscle plication, I encourage gradually standing upright within the first 3 to 4 days after surgery. In my opinion more prolonged bending over tends to cause back pain and therefore overall increases recovery time.

Thank you for your question. Everyone heals at a different pace, usually it will take from 1 to 3 weeks for patients to walk completely straight. You should be fine by week 3. Good luck on your recovery