Will I be able to take care of myself after a tummy tuck?

YOU ARE NOT GOING TO LIKE MY ANSWER. I THINK YOUR PLAN IS FULL OF HOLES. SOMEBODY SHOULD BE WITH YOU AFTER A TUMMY TUCK FOR 5-7 DAYS. SECONDLY WHY ARE YOU FLYING SOMEWHERE FOR SURGERY? IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM , WHO IS GOING TO TAKE CARE OF ISSUES SUUCH AS WOUND INFECTION, SEROMA OR SOMETHING MORE SERIOUS. I THINK THE WHOLE PLAN NEEDS TO BE THOUGHT THROUGH AGAIN. SORRY

Dear baileyjordan90,
every plastic surgeon has his own postoperative protocol which he recommends to his patients. I would suggest you to discuss this with your plastic surgeon.
Daniel Barrett, MD
Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

Short answer, I think that you will be pushing it!

Unfortunately, patients do go abroad in search of cheaper surgery, but if all the costs of travel etc are added up, it may not seem as cheap as it initially appears to be. It is not advisable to board a long haul flight about four weeks "before" or after a major procedure as it can increase the risk of clots in your legs or lungs that can potentially be life threatening. There are lots of other things that you need to consider...


Although, you may get a good deal in going some where far from home, there are quite a few problems with medical tourism. At the end of the day, although it is a cosmetic procedure, it is still is an operation and it needs to be respected as such.

Quality, Safety and Risks:
The standards of the clinic you go to or the surgeon operating on you may not be regulated. There are significant risks with travelling long distances immediately before of after your surgery. Patients may not tolerate travel very well, or may not have inherent resistance to some of the diseases in the host countries

Patient satisfaction:
The overall experience may leave you dissatisfied and once you return home, you cannot pop down the road to consult with your surgeon again.

Clinical outcomes:
Clinical outcomes can be variable, but it is not uncommon for us in the NHS to be picking us the pieces of patients who have been abroad for cosmetic surgery. A survey of the British Association of Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons (BAPRAS) has shown that 37% of us have seen a patient in the National Health Service with complications arising from overseas cosmetic surgery. In another survey in the UK, 60% of complications were of emergency nature requiring inpatient admission

Continuity of care - before and after your surgery:
Unfortunately, this vital part of your treatment is non existent. Medical tourism involves travelling to another country and your body may take time to acclimatise to that country's ecosystem. A detailed physical examination is not possible prior to your procedure and the contemplated surgery is at its best a good guess as to what you may need. You may contact disease that it completely irrelevant to your surgery in the country you are travelling to. Long haul travel immediately before or after your surgery increases your risk of clots in your legs or lungs which can be potentially life threatening. Should you be unfortunate enough to have a complication once you return home, your surgeon (who should be your principal carer after your surgery), will not be around.

Privacy and confidentiality:
This is very variable and difficult to regulate outside your own country. Data protection may not have the same confidentiality when you are travelling and your photographs could potentially end up on the internet.


Infection and cross-border spread of antimicrobial resistance and dangerous pathogens:
This is a serious problem and not only does it lead to spread of rare infections from country to country, but it can result in a patient returning from a country and being sick with symptoms that the local physicians may not be familiar with. This can delay diagnosis and treatment and can have serious implications on the health of the patient.

External Quality Assessment and accreditation:
Medical tourism services remain largely unregulated and a huge issue that needs to be faced up to is whether or not the quality and safety standards on offer through medical tourism are to be trusted. One of the major concerns related to medical tourism is the ethical aspects of treatment and if treatments offered are justified or simply offered to run a business.

Accreditation:
It is very difficult to verify the qualifications of your so called plastic surgeon when travelling abroad. In the UK, a fully trained and qualified Plastic Surgeon is a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons in Plastic Surgery (FRCS Plast), is on the Specialist register for plastic surgery with the General Medical Council (GMC) and is usually a member of the British Association of Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons (BAPRAS) and British Association of Aesthetic Surgeons (BAAPS).

Recovery from a TT varies from person-to-person. Your recovery from the procedure will depend on several factors, such as age, general state of health, body weight, and type of TT. Staying in close proximity to your PS for 10 days is beneficial.
Recommend that you ask for your PS's opinion regarding the three hour flight on day 11. Neither are there hard and fast rules on when to fly after a TT nor is there little evidence based medicine to support firm guidelines or recommendations on timing of air travel.
Strenuous activity and lifting more than 10 pounds must be avoided for 6 weeks. A general guideline for returning to maximum activity after a tummy tuck is to use the comfort level as a guide.

In my practice you would have to be picked up by someone who would stay under the same roof for at least 3 days. Also I would not necessarily advise you to fly that early. I would wait for several weeks following surgery

Hello,
I personally think that you would find it difficult being on your own in a foreign country after a tummy tuck operation. It's a big operation and complications do occur, even with the the best surgeons and hospital facilities.
Once back in the UK, if you have problems, you may have to seek out a local surgeon at additional cost if anything goes wrong.
It would be best to clarify with your surgeon what aftercare package they and the hospital are able to provide to suit your situation.

It would be best if you had someone to help you when you first got out of the hospital. Speak with your surgeon about nurses or caregivers in the area who can be hired to assist you the first few days. I typically recommend that my patients do not fly for two weeks after a tummy tuck. Your surgeon will advise what is best for you based on your surgical plan.

Thank you for your question. There are a lot of factors that go into answering that question. Most abdominoplasty patients go home the same day and absolutely need assistance at home. I am assuming the only reason you are staying in the hospital is because you don’t have help at home or hotel. I also have to assume if in fact you were not ready to leave the hospital by day two that your doctor would keep you there longer until he/she thinks you are ready. If those assumptions are true, then you will be fine because your doctor , along with yourself , will be determining when you’re ready to leave and you have the support of the hospital as long as you need it. The recovery after a TT is tough and you do need help early on but most people do not have someone with them 24/7 for more than 72hours. So Being at a hotel where service is just a phone call away is probably fine by day 3. I think it is important to be flexible with your plans and this includes your departure dates, to make absolutely sure that you are healing well and truly ready to go home , far from your doctor. Make sure to get up and move around on the plane to prevent clots in your legs. I always recommend board certified plastic surgeons.

Hello and thank you for your question. It depends on your pain tolerance and how much medication you will need. If you're medicated with pain meds , you won't know when you took what medication, if there are stairs , you need to be careful not to fall if medicated, and in the shower. I would have an alarm set up for your med schedule, have meals made , a lot of fluids, drinks , electrolytes on hand as well. Your phone nearby in case you need to call someone.

Hello,
Thank you for sharing the information, it is a pleasure for me to answer your question.

Definitely the most appropriate is to start (tummy tuck, liposuction and BBL can also be included), you are a candidate perfect, for the procedure, with this you can eliminate all localized fat and flaccidity, you will get the best results and have a defined appearance according to your body. everything depends on your BMI, if it is within the normal range, above 35 it can generate risks.
It is advisable to consult with a certified plastic surgeon, for a good evaluation, to provide you with all the information you need to know about the appropriate recommendations, so that you can achieve the desired goals in your body.