Can I Request a Hospital Stay?

If you are concerned about postop recovery, I would encourage you to have the procedure at a hospital or surgery center where you can stay overnight.  This has been the traditional way to recover from this procedure and only in recent years have outpatient tummy tucks become popular.   In addition, if you are having significant amount of fascial tightening, a hospital recovery may be worth it since your discomfort will be increased.

First, it is important to have a consultation in which your concerns about office based surgery can be addressed in specifics. Try to identify what concerns you: is it safety, having backup anesthesiologists available, sterility, etc.? Let me also point out that there is another option, which is a free standing ambulatory surgery center, not a private doctor's office. There is a major cost differential between surgery in the hospital and in an ambulatory center; I would estimate at least $2500 difference with an overnight stay. It is also important for you to check on how your state regulates facilities. I would not recommend any surgery under general anesthesia except in a Joint Commission or AAAASF accredited facility.

Excellent question! I encourage most of my full tummy tuck patient's to spend an evening in the hospital. In Boca Raton, our hospital has a wonderful "VIP" floor which allows for a quiet night's rest but with the added security of excellent and available nursing. Assistance with getting out of bed, managing drains, assuring proper positioning, and the use of a pain pump all reduce patient anxiety about that "first night after surgery." The cost for an overnight stay is very reasonable. By all means, when you do consult with surgeons, be sure you feel comfortable with the facility they operate prior to booking your surgery.