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!

I typical do not use compression until it has been a month from the surgery, and the blood supply to the flap has been allowed to stabilizee.  At that point, with the wounds healed, I will place the patient in a compression garment if they will benefit from it.  Typically the beneficial effects of compression are maximized if the patient wears the garment for several months.

I have my patients wear a velcro binder (put on at the end of the procedure) for 1-2 weeks; then switch to a spanx-like garment.
If other procedures such as liposuction (SAL) of the flanks and and/or thighs, garment is put on from rib cage to knees for about 1 week, then the spanx-like garment.
It is very important to control swelling and edema to get the best results!
Good luck! 

Thank you for your question. I typically have my patients wear a binder for 1-2 weeks and then transition to more comfortable spanx or a milder compression for 5-6 weeks. 
There are a lot of different opinions about this so it's best to follow your surgeons recommendations. 

A compression garment is recommended for as long as you have some swelling. For most of my patients that is around 4 weeks. However, some patients will wear their garment at least part of the time for up to six weeks.People heal differently and not all tummy tucks are the same. Some are full and some are mini. Most have liposuction, but others do not. So some of my patients are in a Spanx type garment in a couple of weeks with a mini and some minor liposuction. Good luck!

Hi there,
In general I advise all my tummy tuck patients to wear compressive garment for around 6 weeks post op. It is especially important for the first 2-3 weeks while the swelling is worse and the garment will help control the degree of swelling and mould the contouring result from the surgery. It also provides significant support for your trunk and posture while you're slowly adjusting to your new self with a tightened abdomen and the associated new shape of your waist line. Some patients actually like the idea so much that they continue to wear the garment beyond the 6 weeks post operative period to help maintain the strength and support achieved by the tummy tuck surgery.
Hope that helps.
Best wishes
Ellis Choy

Wearing some kind of compression after a tummy tuck or
abdominoplasty can be helpful to minimize swelling and help shape the results.
Generally, I recommend the patients wear some kind of compression for
approximately six weeks after surgery. Normally, I would start with an
abdominal binder for the first week and then switching to a store bought
shapewear such as Spanx after that.

Your question is an interesting one.  There is not a lot of science to go on.  I recommend a girdle for my patients.  In fact they wake up after surgery already wearing one.  The girdle provides some compression, limiting swelling and probably making swelling go down faster.  It does not smooth the skin or prevent irregularities (the fat does not move around after surgery, which is why the surgeon tries to remove fat evenly during surgery).  So wear a girdle for a month, taking it off to bathe of course.  Having two garments enables you to always have a clean one while the other is being washed.  I prefer a girdle with a zipper up each side.  Binders tend to roll up or down and are a nuisance.  If you wish to read more, just click on the link to my website below.

That is a great question. It is very important to wear the binder correctly and for the entirety of six weeks….at least that is what I recommend and strongly believe. It takes approximately six weeks for the abdominal muscles and incisions to heal and only then is it safe to slowly resume to normal activity. I hope this information has helped.

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.