Brachioplasty Following an Extended Tummy Tuck - how long should I wait?

Question

How long should I wait to have the bracchioplasty following an extended tummy tuck? I’ve lost a considerable amount of weight and will likely have 2-3 surgeries to address . I know my first will be an extended tummy tuck, which will be a lengthy recovery before I can be back to doing full -body exercises (Pilates). Is it possible, since I will have “down time’ from exercising, to overlap the recoveries and have the bracchioplasty 2 weeks or a month after the TT? Or is that a recipe for misery and disaster? I hate the idea of being away from working out, and while I know that “doubling up” procedures would extend that initial down time, the total down time would conceivably be less. Thoughts?

Fernando Ovalle Jr., MD · Answer

Hello and thank you for your question. You will find that there is no "one right answer" as what may work for one patient, won't for another, and also surgeons have their own nuances in their preferences/advice. In my practice I usually advise patients that you will probably need 2-3 months to feel more "back to normal" after a big body contouring procedure such as a tummy tuck, or extremity lift. At the very least, I would recommend 6 weeks because then you will likely start to be able to do more activities/lifting/putting stress on the first operated area before putting the second area "out of commission". I.e. you will be more reliant on your upper/lower extremities for changing positions, etc when you are recovering your core from your TT, and you will more more reliant on your core for say, getting up out of bed, when you can't use your arms to push off, etc.

Hopefully this helps and good luck on your journey!

Hopefully this helps and good luck on your journey!

Brachioplasty Following an Extended Tummy Tuck - how long should I wait?

Answers (1)