Mommy Makeover: Is it Advisable to Stay n Hospital Overnight?

Our routine is to have all of our "mommy makeover" patients stay overnight in our accredited surgery center, with one-on-one nursing care.  This way, we can make sure that they are comfortable, that they are given DVT prophylaxis medications, and that their family doesn't have to worry about taking them home immediately after a major procedure.  I check them over in the morning before they are discharged home, and personally review all the instructions with the patient and their family member.

 

I keep my patients at the hospital 2 nights after mommy makeover surgery. You will be well taken care of and also hospital beds are needed in the first 48 hours. You will be sleeping what we call a V shape position as we don’t want your tummy to stretch. Hospital beds are perfect for that type of position. Also first 48 hours is crucial for recovery as infection, bleeding and opening of stitches may occur (if it was to happen). After 48 hours , you will be completely safe to be discharged from the hospital. Please make sure your surgeon keeps you at least overnight at the hospital for your well-being. Good luck with your surgery.

It is our policy at the Mommy Makeover Institute of Hawaii to keep patients overnight if the procedure goes over 6-7 hours.  We decided on this as a requirement after talking to several husbands who were overwhelmed by being responsible for their wives after a long surgical procedure.

Our surgery center is fortunate in having an outstanding overnight nurse, and the facility and building allow for overnight patients.  In the past, I have certainly sent patients home who had procedures lasting over 6 hours, and have fortunately never encountered any negative consequences.  Board Certified plastic surgeons experienced in the multiple procedures in a Mommy Makeover routinely send patients home with very few, if any, medical problems.  However, the emotional stress on the patient and their caregivers often requires an overnight stay at the surgical facility, and of course, also decreases the chance of complications from movement to and from the facility. 

In the rare instance of a complication such as a hematoma, the patient is already at the facility, the team can be mustered quickly, and the patient treated in a more expeditious fashion than if the husband has to drive the patient back to the facility.  All things being equal, if I had a long surgery with multiple procedures, I would prefer staying at the facility and getting professional care.   

The mommy makeover is an extensive procedure that combines cosmetic breast surgery, liposuction and abdominoplasty. In the vast majority of cases, I’ve performed the procedure on an outpatient basis in an ambulatory surgery center. Patients typically return home after surgery and are seen in follow up the next morning.

When cosmetic surgery is performed on an outpatient basis, certain criteria must be met. Patients need to be in good health otherwise and they must have a support system in place. Many mommy makeover patients have small children at home. This potentially complicates after care because both the patient and her children need care givers.

Safety should always be a priority. When patients have co-existing medical problems, they should undergo a comprehensive medical evaluation before surgery. Depending upon the results of these studies, inpatient surgery may be indicated.

Every patient’s situation is slightly different, and because of this, some patients should have inpatient surgery, while others should have outpatient surgery. This decision is determined by multiple factors. These include the overall health of the patient, the nature of the procedure, the surgeon’s preference, and the patient’s support system. The vast majority of cases can be done safely on an outpatient basis. This has the added advantage of significant savings and the convenience of home during recovery.

All of our patients go home the same day and do well.  This has a lot to do with the anesthesia and whether they medicate you to go home the same day or use longer acting medications.

Medically, you may need to stay in a hospital overnight after a Mommy Makeover if

-  you require some type of monitoring for a chornic illness, like diabetes

-  you have a hear or lung condition where your fluid input and output needs to be monitored

-  you had A LOT of surgery, typicaly 4 hours or longer

 

A hospital stay is nice, but not necessary, based on

-  if you want to make sure you're recovering, and NOT taking care of your family

-  you're concerned about pain control after surgery, and want the option of very strong pain medication through an IV in a hospital setting

-  you need extra care and your spouse can't deliver it.

 

Going home is nice after a Mommy Makeover because

-  you're in familiar surroundings, with your loved ones

-  you know where everything is, including the bathroom and the kitchen

-  the food is usually better

 

I hope this helps-  have fun with your transformation!

 


 

I like to keep my patients overnight at my private surgery center. This is quite extensive surgery and I like to have the patient monitored and pampered their first night. If a complication were to occur, even though they are rare, it is most likely to occur in the first few hours. We can also keep the patient more comfortable with the ability to administer pain control that is not available at home. Keeping the patient safe and comfortable with the highest quality of care is our priority.

Generally after a Mommy Makeover I send my patients to an after care facility for at least one night.  The first night is critical to make sure you are comfortable, your pain is controlled and your being monitored by a professional. Additionally when you get home i also recommend having additional help to aid you in your recovery at least or the first couple of days. Clearly if your are concerned you should have an open discussion with your surgeon to figure out the best plan for you. Hope this helps. Good Luck!! 

The way your question is worded it cannot be answered. Patients are not all the same and tummy tucks are not all the same. No one in their right mind is going to send a 60 year old home to fend for themselves after a tummy tuck surgery. The answer is it depends on the type of tummy tuck (with or without muscle tightening and how much tightening), how long the patient was on the operating table, how old the patient is by birthdate and physical condition, what kind of support structure they have at home etc. I have had less than 40 year old patients with less than 3 hour operative times who could go home after surgery. Others with 5 or 6 hour operative times could not urinate on their own for 24 hours and could not stand up straight for 2 weeks. These types of patients cannot go home right after surgery. Never having seen or examined you there is no way to know what category applies to you. In the absence of other serious medical conditions there should be no need for a hospital stay even if the patient cannot go home. Here in Los Angeles we have a number of after care facilities staffed by nurses and equipped to take care of patients after most types of plastic surgery.

My response to your question/post does not represent formal medical advice or constitute a doctor patient relationship. You need to consult with i.e. personally see a board certified plastic surgeon in order to receive a formal evaluation and develop a doctor patient relationship.

There are different opinions and each case is different, but in general if you are in good health it is reasonable to have the operations and go home the same day. My own policy is to limit scheduled surgery time to 5 hours, so if we know it will take longer it could either be done with a hospital stay or in two different sessions. There are several possible combinations of procedures in a mommy makeover, so the decision has to be individualized. One thing is certain, you will need to be taken care of and not the other way around so arranging your support system is important.