One of my top two fears after having had my tummy tuck a week ago is tearing or otherwise undoing the internal work on my muscles. It's extremely painful to cough, and today I vomited a few times. Also obviously extremely painful. A family member told me not to worry because "it's been a week, everything is closed up", but my pain level along with reading on the topic and my surgeon's activity guidelines suggest otherwise. So on average, when are muscles considered "closed up" and safe to use?
June 3, 2017
Answer: How long before muscle repair is "secure" after a tummy tuck? Congratulations on having undergone the tummy tuck procedure. It will be several months before the muscle plication will be considered "secure". In general, it would take a significant amount of pressure to “undo" the muscle repair after tummy tuck surgery. This event would likely be associated with significant discomfort. A change in your physical examination, such as increased swelling, bleeding, a new onset "bulge" would also be likely. In other words, generally speaking, abdominal wall muscle plication performed during tummy tuck surgery is quite secure; disruption is very unusual. My best advice: return to your preoperative activity level in a very gradual/careful fashion, under the guidance of your plastic surgeon. In the longer term, you should be able to return to full activity ( without concern for disruption of the abdominal wall plication), including workouts etc. Best wishes for an outcome you will be very pleased with long-term.
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June 3, 2017
Answer: How long before muscle repair is "secure" after a tummy tuck? Congratulations on having undergone the tummy tuck procedure. It will be several months before the muscle plication will be considered "secure". In general, it would take a significant amount of pressure to “undo" the muscle repair after tummy tuck surgery. This event would likely be associated with significant discomfort. A change in your physical examination, such as increased swelling, bleeding, a new onset "bulge" would also be likely. In other words, generally speaking, abdominal wall muscle plication performed during tummy tuck surgery is quite secure; disruption is very unusual. My best advice: return to your preoperative activity level in a very gradual/careful fashion, under the guidance of your plastic surgeon. In the longer term, you should be able to return to full activity ( without concern for disruption of the abdominal wall plication), including workouts etc. Best wishes for an outcome you will be very pleased with long-term.
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Answer: Straight I my practice patients may begin walking for exercise after two weeks; more strenuous cardio after one month; then after three months they may begin to work the abdominals gradually and low reps. Theoretically complete healing takes six months to one year. It would be unusual (though not impossible) to rip the muscle repair by coughing or vomiting. I hope this helps.
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Answer: Straight I my practice patients may begin walking for exercise after two weeks; more strenuous cardio after one month; then after three months they may begin to work the abdominals gradually and low reps. Theoretically complete healing takes six months to one year. It would be unusual (though not impossible) to rip the muscle repair by coughing or vomiting. I hope this helps.
Helpful 3 people found this helpful