After a tummy tuck, when can I lift 70 lbs?

Tell your surgeon your lifting requirements or at least provide him/her with a job description. In my opinion, you should wait a minimum of 6 weeks priot to considering lifting this amount of weight and you should begin by gradually instituting a course of progressive resistance as well as being well informed about body mechanics. I highly advise undertaking a course of core strengthening exercises.

Regarding: " After Tummy Tuck, When can I lift 70 lb.?  I had a full TT and muscle repair on June 23, 2010. My work requires that I be able to lift 70 lb.. I work in a Postal facility. I lift mail bags. I dump mail and sort. I move containers full of mail. I spoke with my surgeon about when I should return to work. He told me to handle small amounts of mail, or get help. I can't do either one. What do you think? I have an appointment this week with my surgeon. How do I get across to him the amount of work I'm required to do when I return?"

Respectfully, I think you have it all wrong. You should NOT look for divine inspiration on how to "get across" to your surgeon what your work requires. The discussion of when you can resume lifting 70 pound bags should NOT be a bargaining session after surgery. It should have been discussed between you and your surgeon BEFORE you agreed to and had your Tummy Tuck.

In the performance of your Tummy Tuck your muscles were tightened and are held with stitches. Every surgeon has his own way of doing the muscle repair (single layer VS double layer repair: dissolving VS permanent stitches; individual separate stitches VS running stitches). As the tummy skin adheres to the muscle with scar tissue any sideways pulling on the muscle repair is distributed along a wider surface instead of just along the repair. For this reason, the more time you allow for healing, the more heavy lifting you COULD tolerate without possibly tearing the muscle repair. We usually quote 6-8 weeks to resume such lifting.

If you decide to lift earlier you MAY damage the repair.

Discuss this with your surgeon and your supervisor.

Dr. Aldea