How Long Will It Take to Walk Straight Again After a Tummy Tuck?

Question

I did my tummy tuck 2 weeks ago, and I still walking bent over. My back hurts in the middle two inches below the shoulder.

Scott C. Sattler, MD, FACS · Answer

If you had a full abdominoplasty with fascial plication- it takes a couple of weeks for your posture to straighten- it really depends on how much of a skin resection you had and how 'tight' you are. The abdominal flap gradually stretches and you will be walking tall again.

Armando Soto, MD, FACS · Answer

Hi there-

	There is a great deal of variability between patients (even when their procedures were very similar in detail) with regard to how long they may feel the need to be bent over...

	In some patients, our aggressive pain control strategies are very effective and they never walk at all bent over...

	Other patients walk bent over for a few days, and still others seem to feel the need to be bent at the waist for up to 2 weeks (I have only ever had one patient be bent over for longer).

	I other words, you will be better at predicting the answer to this question than anyone else based on your understanding of your individual pain tolerance.

Peter A. Aldea, MD · Answer

The hunched over walking like Groucho Marx or "flipped L" depends on the patient's anxiety level and the Tummy Tuck's surgical technique.

	Having performed hundreds of Tummy Tuck procedures and constantly changing and refining my technique over the years taught me that If the muscle lining is properly numbed during surgery, there will be NO pain after surgery.

	Instead, the patients only have a feeling of variable tightness and are NOT hunched over. It is the protective or pain induced hunching over which strains the back muscles resulting is spasms and pain.

	If the muscles are not numbed, there will be post surgical tummy pain and a hunching over to alleviate such pain resulting in prolonged back pain. This phase, if allowed to occur lasts 2-3 weeks until the patients gradually assume an erect position alleviating the strain to the back muscles.

	Dr. P. Aldea

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