How Long Should You Wear Your Binder/Garment for After a Tummy Tuck?

Hello and Great Question. I know there is a significant amount of debate on this topic. I feel you should wear both a binder and a compression garment. I also think these should be worn at all times for 6 weeks after surgery. Then, I think you should wear the garment for an additional 6 weeks during the daytime. Why? My Tummy tucks include liposuction. This really helps to bring in the waist and create that “hour-glass” shape. It also allows me to remove fat from the upper part of the abdomen. This helps to sculpt a 3-Dimensional Torso. Liposuction is a great adjunct, but it causes the remaining fat to swell. The compression garment and binder help to put pressure and reduce the swelling getting you a quicker recovery and quicker final results.
The Tummy Tuck itself involves lifting your tummy skin and tightening. The end goal is getting that tummy skin to be “tight and flat”. Thus, creating a tight and fit tummy. How do we make sure that the tummy skin heals in the area we want it? By utilizing compression garments and binders. In addition, the use of binders and compression garments minimize the length of a drain; and potentially does not require us to utilize drains at all!
Alright, so compression garments and binders are good, but why do they need to be utilized for so long? Because it takes time to heal. The majority of healing takes about 6 weeks and this is why the compression garments and binders are worn at all times, except when showering, for the first 6 weeks. Swelling happens from any surgery. The swelling in a tummy tuck can last for about 3 months and this swelling can “hide” the hour glass figure. This is why you can stop wearing the binder after 6 weeks, but I still want you to continue the compression garment for another 6 weeks during the daytime only.


I hope that helps. Best of Luck!

Nicole123,
This is a great question that you will get a vast range of opinions about. There's probably no clear data or study that has shown improvement with the use of abdominal binders or pressure garments, nor the suggested duration of its use.  This is where plastic surgery becomes more of an art than science and a lot of the suggested use or duration is probably anecdotal.  
Those surgeons who promote their use were probably trained to do so or felt through their experience that patients had better results.  Those who don't, have probably seen no difference with garments use.
With that said, possibly due to my training, I do encourage patients to use abdominal binders and pressure garments.  For a tummy tuck, I encourage use of an abdominal binder for the first week post-op, simply because they are easier to remove and placed back on, especially if there are still drains.  Once drains are removed, which is usually at the one week post-op mark, then I switch my patients to a pressure garment.  I encouraged pressure garment use at all times, except while bathing, for about 6 weeks. 
Most patients are compliant with that and actually feel more comfortable and reassured when they have pressure on their abdomen.  Some even say that it helps with pain.  
In general, most patients have already gone through the mental thought process of deciding to undergo the procedure and the financial cost of the procedure that they would prefer to use an abdominal binder and pressure garment to help achieve their aesthetic goals.  

You should wear a compression garment after tummy tuck for a minimum of 6 weeks, but preferably for 3 months. This will help with the swelling, especially as you resume more activity postop.

After a tummy tuck, patients must wear a compression garment for a period of 2 months to keep the abdomen tight for a faster healing and to reduce swelling.

Depending on the extent of the procedure, I have my patients wear an abdominal binder for 4-8 weeks post surgery. I keep the binder snug, but not tight to where it is painful, hard to breathe or can cut off blood supply to the skin. The binder helps the tissues heal and helps resolve the swelling more rapidly in my experience. Some patients actually like the feeling of the snug abdominal binder/girdle and may wear it for several months or more post operatively.

This is a great question and something I think is variable from person to person. I spend a lot of time talking about compression in the post operative period and apply a regime that starts with a garment and binder day and night and then I gradually start reducing this at the 6 - 8 weeks post operative phase, dependant on how well the body swelling is responding to the compression. By four months most patients are just wearing the garment during the day but still advised to use both during exercise - up to six to nine months post operative. I'm sure that some of my patients curse my name during this phase but I happy to accept it as a good compression regime will give good results. Some of my patients reversely insist on carrying on wearing the compression even after 9 months and there is no doubt that these patients have the best results. Be guided by your plastic surgeon.

I recommend using compression garments after a tummy tuck procedure to get good results. A valcro type binder for first 4-6 weeks and then a second stage softer compression garments for 4-6 months to help in getting swelling down and to get a good results. It is vital to use a good quality compression garments.

All our patients are advised to wear a compression garment following abdominoplasty surgery.

We will measure you prior to surgery to ensure you get the correct fitting compression garments.  These will be required to be worn for the first 6 weeks to ensure it holds and supports your abdominal area for the best recovery and results possible.  The garments also help to reduce swelling.

Hi and thank you for your question. I have my tummy tuck patients wear compression garment for about 2 months after surgery. Every surgeon is different though so I recommend meeting with a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon to discuss further. 

I routinely ask my patients to were compression garments after a tummy tuck, 3 weeks 24hrs a day and 3 weeks for half a day. A lot of my patients like to were them 24hrs a day for the full 6 weeks. I hope this helps.
Dr H

Hello and thank you for your question. For an abdominoplasty, I generally prefer that patients wear their compression garment during the day and night for 4-6 weeks postoperatively. It is purported that this helps with the postoperative swelling and tightening of the skin. Patients also feel more "supported" with the garment as well. I would follow whatever postoperative instructions that your board certified plastic surgeon provides. Good luck to you.