How long after a tummy tuck until you can stand straight and back pain subsides?

  Dear Ashley9922,  It is not uncommon to walk partially bent over after a tummy tuck with muscle tightening. It may take 2-4 weeks to stand fully erect and you may feel tightness for several months. If you feel this is not normal in your case, then return to your surgeon to discuss. We have found that muscle relaxants (Robaxin) can be very helpful with the back discomfort you are experiencing. Warm showers can also help with stiffness (make sure your surgeon says it's ok to shower). I would caution you to force yourself to stand straight...that usually leads to problems. Your body will let you know when it is ok to stand upright. Good luck. #Dr Gervais

What you are experiencing is very  normal for tummy tuck recovery.Pain, pulling, and tugging
along the incision quite common after tummy tuck surgery. The discomfort
can get worse a few weeks after surgery as some of the nerves start to wake up
and work again. Pain can also increase because at three weeks out patients start
to get more active once again.

Sometimes the pain is
caused by tugging of a stitch that will eventually dissolve, sometimes it
can be caused by scar tissue. Generally these aches and pains and zings
will come and go for a few months after surgery, but usually they resolve.

You may feel more
comfortable if you speak to your plastic surgeon directly. He or she
should be the one to recommend medication to you.

It is completely normal to feel swollen and sore as you just had surgery. It is important
to follow your surgeon’s instructions. You will be able to slowly get back to normal but do not
lift anything heavy, minimize bending over and listen to your body as you heal. Hope this helps
and best of luck!

Most
patients experience tightness and difficulty standing following abdominoplasty
surgery.  This typically lasts for about
a week, but in some cases, can last longer. 
Initially, patients are encouraged to walk in a slightly flexed position
to keep tension off the wound closure. 
This also makes the immediate post-operative period more
comfortable.  With the passage of time,
patients are allowed to gradually resume an erect position and resume light
activities.  Strenuous activities and
heavy lifting should be avoided for at least six weeks.

            Tightness occurs because of the skin
closure, and the plication of the underlying abdominal muscles.  The degree of the tightness that results
varies from patient to patient.  It
depends upon how aggressively the surgeon has tightened both the skin and
underlying muscles.  When more
significant skin resections are performed, ambulation in a flexed position will
be necessary for longer periods of time.

            I suspect that your current symptoms
are probably normal.  They are probably
related to aggressive tightening of both your muscles and skin.  It’s important that you communicate with your
surgeon.  Be patient, you may ultimately
be very happy with your result.

Pulmonary embolism is a rare but serious complication of a protracted abdominal operation such as an abdominoplasty. It can be associated with shortness of breath, back pain, rapid pulse, and sweating. This should be reported to your plastic surgeon immediately.

I have my patients starting to stand upright after the first week. But I have heard this complaint from many other patients, especially on this message board. The back pain is almost certainly because you are walking bent over and are forced to use back muscles that you normally are not using. The inability to stand upright should resolve with just time. I would be curious to know if your surgeon used something called a "running loop" stitch to tighten the abdominal wall. I have always been curious why surgeons like to use this type of suture instead of several interrupted sutures. The problem with a "running loop" suture is that it not only tightens the abdominal wall in the horizontal direction (which is what you want) but it also tightens the abdomen in the vertical dimension (which can make standing upright difficult). Just would be curious to know.

Hi. It often takes a couple of weeks to stand up straight after a tummy tuck. You should view the tightness as a good thing - that you will have a good long-term result. People often say that their back is sore after tummy tucks because you are not using your abdominal muscles to support yourself as they are sore when you contract them - this will subside in a couple of weeks. Keeping an abdominal compression garment on helps the muscular soreness - if you are not using this then talk to your surgeon about this.Regards Dr Charles Cope

Usually patients stand and walk bent over for 1 to 2 weeks after tummy tuck. Even then the abdominal muscles will feel tight when standing straight for up to 3 months following surgery. This tightness is normal and expected, so don't try to force yourself to stand straight as this can cause pulling on the incision. Your body will let you know when you are ready to stand straight.  

hello. patients usually after a period of 15 days can stand straight, I  recommend you  to visit your surgeon for an evaluation if something really bothers you.

Typically one is able to stand up straight over a period of two weeks post surgery.  This is something I would discuss with your surgeon.  If given the ok, I would suggest while standing in the shower, the warmth of the shower helps to relax your muscles and then start stretching toward the shower head.  This may help epedite the process but, I do not recommend anything forceful.  This should be a gradual process.