Which Do You Think is Harder on the Body, Abdominoplasty or Breast Reduction with Anchor Scars?

Breast reduction patients on a scale of 1 to 10 rate their pain in the 1-3 range. They typically describe it as a burning sensation. Interesting, is they have more discomfort when I perform liposuction on the sides of the chest!

abdominoplasty patients rate their pain in the 4-5 range describing a tightness more than pain. Some women compare the discomfort to Braxton Hicks contractions they experienced during pregnancy.

due to the abdominal wall repair, the abdominoplasty takes about a week longer to be up and around as normally as a breast reduction patient.

combining the two procedures is safe and surgery should average 3-4 hours for both procedures

Breast reductions are not particularly painful in easy to get over. In abdominoplasty when repair the fascia is involved can be painful and certainly requires longer convalescence.

Both surgeries are very well tolerated with minimal pain and downtime.  However, a tummy tuck will probably be associated with tightness of the belly as well as some incisional pain.

Thanks for your question. No question the abdominoplasty has more of a recovery. The muscle plication that is done is the part that illicits the pain. It is common to perform these procedures together (TT and BR). Most of my patients say that they didn't even have pain in their  breasts while recovering from the two procedures. Best of Luck!

A breast reductions recovery is 7 - 10 days until patients can return to a sedentary job, slightly longer if more vigorous activities are involved in the job, while an abdominoplasty recovery is 2 - 3 weeks especially if the muscles need repairing before patients can expect to begin feeling like they want to begin progressing toward normal activity. If muscle repair has been done, it's a full 6 weeks until patients are cleared to return to normal activities.

An abdominoplasty is a much more involved and significant recovery than a breast reduction.  The muscle repair that is done in a tummy tuck is what makes the procedure more difficult to recover from and what can sometimes lead to prolonged discomfort.  Most women recover very quickly from a breast reduction.

            The tummy tuck is a more difficult recovery than breast reduction.  Find a plastic surgeon with ELITE credentials who performs hundreds of mommy makeovers, tummy tucks, and breast reductions each year.  Then look at the plastic surgeon's website before and after photo galleries to get a sense of who can deliver the results.  Kenneth Hughes, MD Los Angeles, CA

I believe the Tummy Tuck has a more involved recovery than Breast Reduction.  Most of my breast reduction patients are OK to go back to a desk job in 3-5 days.  But my tummy tuck patients generally need 10 days before going back to a desk job.   Please talk to your PS about your concerns.  

Dr. Basu

Houston, TX

The abdominoplasty (tummy tuck)  operation is “harder on the body” and associated with a longer recovery period compared to breast reduction surgery.  I explain to my patients undergoing tummy tuck surgery that they should expect several months to pass before they feel 100% again.  Also, patients undergoing either  one of these operations should understand that recovery periods are often associated with significant emotional “ups and downs” as well as the physical recovery.

I have attached some advice that I provide to my patients who are about to go tummy tuck surgery:

1. Make sure you are doing the procedure for the right reasons (for yourself)  and that you have realistic expectations.  Be aware that an improvement in the “problem area” may not translate to an overall improvement in your life   situation.  You are bound to be disappointed with results of the procedure if your motivation for doing the surgery is not internally driven.


2. Time your surgery carefully; generally, it is not a good idea to have surgery done during or immediately after a stressful period in life (for example divorce or death of a loved one). The additional stress of surgery will undoubtedly be  more challenging to deal with if a patient's emotional reserves our already exhausted. Remember, that an improvement in your physical appearance will not translate to an improvement in your life situation.


3. If possible speak to patients who have undergone similar procedures and query them about the toughest times of their recovery period. Any practical hints previous patients can provide may be very helpful.


4. Make sure you are aware of potential complications that may arise how to reach your surgeon if necessary.
5. Make sure you have a strong and patient support system (several people if possible) in place who have time/patience to take care of you. Arrange for professional nursing if any doubt exists regarding the availability and/or stamina  of your caretakers.


6. Be patient with the healing process, understanding that it will take several weeks to months to feel “normal” again. It may also take many months/year to see the end results of your surgery.


7. Be prepared to distract your mind with things of interest such as books, magazines, and movies.


8. Expect less of yourself; do not go back to work, school or chores too early and let others take care of you (for a change).


9. Pick your surgeon carefully (a well experienced board-certified plastic surgeon) and trust in his/her advice. Keep in close communication with your surgeon and do not hesitate to communicate questions/concerns and the   emotional swings that you may experience.


10. Resume all medications that you were using preoperatively when cleared by your plastic surgeon and stop the use of narcotics and sedatives as soon as feasible after surgery.


11. Keep in mind the end results as you go through the tougher emotional times after your surgery.

 
I hope this helps.

The abdominoplasty will cause you the most discomfort in the first few days after surgery.  Patients describe it as sore, like doing a million sit-ups.  They never complain about Breast Reduction.  Patients say they feel better the next day.  Both of these surgeries make very happy patients.  Go for it!  Best wishes for a fast recovery!