How long does it take to walk straight after a Tummy Tuck?

Hi and thanks for your question. You have probably figured out that because there are so many different answers, there is not one answer. Confusing right? There is a reason tummy tuck patients are bent at the waist after the procedure. This position mirrors the position the patient is in when the excess skin is measured, removed, and the incision repaired. How quickly they straighten up depends upon how quickly the skin stretches, allowing them to straighten up. Skin elasticity plays an important role here. Severe sun damaged skin (chronic sun tanners have this)  takes the longest in my experience while the skin of massive weight loss patients tends to stretch the fastest. Remember, your goal for this procedure is to tighten skin that is lax, so the earlier you can straighten up without undue tension, the less tight the skin is going to be in the end. (Tension on the skin =bad, because it interfers with bloodflow) . I always tell my patients that " the good news is that your skin will eventually relax, but the bad news is ....that your skin will eventually relax!"  Good luck, ask your surgeon for guidance,  and give yourself time to recover At your own pace. In the end, You'll be glad you did!Joel A. Williams, M.D., F.A.C.S.

Your skin will be stretched and sewn snugly to give the smoothest and flattest result possible. The skin eases and stretches out within a week or so to where you will be able to stand and walk normally. Be sure to consult with a board certified plastic surgeon. Good luck.

thank you for your question. 
Your recuperation will depend on several factors, including your age, health, and body weight. It will also depend on the type of tummy tuck you have. we ususally recommend to my patients to walk bent for at least 5 days.
good luck.

The healing process after full abdominoplasty is different for every patient. There are patients that walk straight the very next day after surgery. On the other hand there are many that have hard time for over a week or so. We all have different tolerance for pain and therefore it is really hard to predict how soon you feel like yourself again. I usually suggest to plan for about 1 week off fro non-physical and refrainn from heavy physical activities and lifting for at least 4-6 weeks.

A tummy tuck procedure varies from
patient to patient.  Same goes for the
recovery. Most patients are able to
walk up-right within 2 weeks.  Some patients
may take longer.  At my clinic, we do
encourage the patients to try to walk upright after about 1 week. Speak to your surgeon regarding
post-operative recovery and what you can expect.

This is a good question.  In short, the tighter the abdominoplasty, the longer a patient may walk with a bend at the waist.  I believe most should walk straight within 2 weeks.  Most return to the office in a few days with a 10 degree bend at the waist.  However, this resolves with adequate pain control and skin relaxation.

Thank you for your question!  Tummy tucks affect people's ability to walk straight differently.  There are some individuals who can almost walk straight immediately and others can take even up to a few weeks.  It is due to multiple factors such as the person's skin elasticity and how much loose skin they had pre-operatively. In my patients who are already very thin and they just want their abdomen's more tight, they can walk bent over slightly for weeks, yet their long term end result is fantastic and what they envisioned for their bodies.  Massive weight loss patients my be able to stand more upright from the beginning due to the combination of the skin removed from their back side and the front side.  I hope this helps!!

Hi. I see my tummy tuck patients the very next day. Once I have seen the incision and skin, made sure that there isn't tension, I have them straighten out on Post-op day 1. I have been performing tummy tucks for 29 years and have yet to have problems with healing when the patient has stood straight on the first post-op day. If you don't, the muscle spasm will be tremendous and you will forget about any tummy tuck discomfort and complain of back ache. Good luck

I want my patients to be standing and walking upright about 7-10 days after surgery. Before that, the bend at the waist to take tension off of the incision line should be very slight. If you bend more than a few degrees at the waist, you will make your lower back muscles sore needlessly. 

Every patient is different.  Every tummy tuck is different.  However most patients can walk straight in 2 weeks