I'm planning to fly to Miami for a tummy tuck how long should I plan to stay post procedure?

Thank you for your question. Many people now travel for their cosmetic procedures, and there are advantages and disadvantages to this. While your Miami plastic surgeon can give you specific recommendations, I would suspect they will want you to stay in Miami for at least 2 weeks after your tummy tuck. This will allow adequate time for recovery and for the drains to be removed. It will also allow you to have access to your surgeon should any complications develop in the immediate post operative period.This length of time is longer than many other cosmetic procedures, as a tummy tuck has a longer and more arduous recovery. It would also be helpful to have a plastic surgeon close to home that can help out if any issues develop after you leave Miami. But again, I would check the specifics with your plastic surgeon.Best of luck with your tummy tuck.Jeff Rockmore

If you are dead set on traveling, then I would suggest staying for at least 2 weeks. Despite what you may think, there really is no reason to travel to have a tummy tuck completed. If you have been convinced that there is a surgeon in Miami that is light years ahead of everyone else in the skill of completing a tummy tuck surgery, then you have been misled. Tummy tuck surgery is a bread and butter surgery that almost all surgeons can perform well. I am not saying that every surgeon that does tummy tuck surgery does it well. There are many that don't. But I am certain that you could find one that is extremely good at it more local than Miami. If you are traveling because you have found someone that will do it cheaper. All you have to do is have 1 small complication and you will end up paying more in both money and stress to take care of things. My strong advice is to stay local and have appropriate follow up care.  

Dear Chellebria,    I agree with Dr Rosen comment about your trip to Miami. Washington metropolitan area has many excellent board certified plastic surgeons who performed more than one thousand tummy tucks trough out their career.  You can check their before and after pictures and consult with the ones that you like their results. Being as it may, you have to pose your question to the surgeon you selected because not all surgeons operate in the same manner. In my practice, patients from out of town who come for tummy tuck have to stay 1 week in the vicinity of my office in order to have the best outcome and reduce complications.       All the best,                                Dr Widder