How soon can you drive after a full tummy tuck?

Good question!  I recommend a patient not drive a car if they are taking pain medications as you mentioned.  How long you will need your pain medication depends on how fast you recover.  I recommend that patients not drive for 2 weeks after surgery.  You can drive again when you feel strong enough and are capable of reacting quickly if necessary.  Good luck.

As a general rule it takes about two weeks before you can straighten up due to the significant abdominal tightness. Therefore, you shouldn’t even consider driving for the first two weeks.
After two weeks, common sense should be used. If you feel like you are safe to get behind a wheel based on how your body is feeling and how mobile you are, then by all means you can drive.

This is something to discuss with your surgeon who knows you best. For my patients I tell them they should be able to resume driving after about 7 to 10 days. Good luck.

The best advice will come from your PS as he/she will be aware of your progress in recovering from the TT.  I only tighten the abdominal wall to return it to an anatomic norm rather than tighten it as much as possible. This produces a functional result without producing prolonged discomfort.  You will likely be bent over for a few days following the TT because of the tightening of the deep layer muscle fascia and the removal of lower abdominal skin. Two weeks recovery is probably a reasonable period of time before returning to a sedentary job or normal day-to-day activities. You should not engage in strenuous activity for 6 weeks although walking or light cardio, and short distance driving can likely be resumed at two weeks.  Kenneth Hughes, MD, Board Certified Plastic SurgeonLos Angeles, CA

Once patients have stopped using any pain medications or muscle relaxers, many are able to return to driving approximately 10-14 days after surgery. This will vary based on individual recovery. Your surgeon is your best advisor to let you know what is recommended in your particular situation.

Hi Newtummysoon32,Thank you for your question! Most of my patients are able to get back to normal activities such as driving in about 10-14 days. I recommend following up with your Board Certified Plastic Surgeon with any other questions or concerns. Best of luck! 

Hello dear!Thank you for your question and information provided.I recommend you ask your surgeon. I would say 2 to 3 weeks post op.Good luck :)

Your plastic surgeon will always be your best resource when it comes to post surgical advice.
In my practice, I ask patients not to drive until they are no longer taking "mind altering" medications and can respond to an emergency when driving (there are both comfort and safety considerations involved).  
Some general thoughts regarding tummy tuck surgery and recovery may be helpful to you:
The tummy tuck recovery experience will vary from one patient to another but, generally speaking, the recovery experience associated with tummy tuck or mommy makeover surgery is often underestimated by patients. In other words, it is a significant operation associated with a significant recovery, both from the physical (and often) emotional standpoints.  It is not unusual for some patients to require several months before they regain preoperative strength/stamina/energy levels.   What I have observed  is that many patients are about 70 to 80% of their energy level at the 4 to 6 weeks post op period and may require 3 to 4 months before they are 100%.  Again, it is not unusual for patients to experience significant emotional "ups and downs" as well.
Therefore, I think it is best to prepare for a “recovery” of 4 weeks after tummy tuck surgery.   Most patients require at least 2 to 4 weeks off work, depending on their job requirements;  I also ask patients to have full-time help for at least one to two weeks after the procedure is performed. Of course, experiences will vary from one patient to another but (again) many patients do not return to full strength and stamina for several months after the procedure is performed.
Best to “go slow” and listen to your body as you gradually increase your activity level. Best wishes. 

Hello and thank you for your question. I recommend to not drive especially if you are currently on medication. Before you have any surgery, my recommendation is to try to eat healthy, incorporate more protein in your diet to aid your healing. Try as much as possible to get to your ideal body weight or a healthy weight. And also please make sure that your surgeon is board-certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, and he or she has hospital privileges to do the same type of procedure(s) in the hospital that he or she plans to do on you, and finally an accredited surgery center is used. Thank you  and best of luck!

On average I tell my patients that they can resume normal life activities like driving after 10 days- 14 days. Some take longer, and some take less time to recover.