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

can always develop post-op complications that require weekly or more office visits that you will certainly being paying for out of pocket..  Do you have a plan B to see someone locally should this occur in your situation?    If not, consider staying home.  But if you're dead set on going to Miami, your surgeon should be the one instructing you on just how long you should stay down there.

I cannot speak for your plastic surgeon in Florida, Only He/She can tell you how
long you should plan on staying as they are the one who has evaluated you and
know what they plan to do for you. I can only tell you that when patients have
flown to my office in Maryland from around the country and around the world for
Tummy Tucks, I recommend that they spend an absolute minimum of 2 weeks in town
if they are coming from neighboring states and preferably 3-4 weeks if they are
flying in from far away. One reason in particular is because your risk of
having a blood clot/ pulmonary embolus is elevated for approximately 1 month
after surgery, especially abdominoplasty.

Not sure why you are flying down there to do the surgery as there are many excellent surgeons in Maryland. The advantages of staying close to home, are that occasionally small issues occur, fluid buildups, suture reactions, etc. It may be more difficult getting follow-up care in your area, when surgeons know you went elsewhere. That being said, I would suggest you stay in that area 10-14 days.

Thank you for your question.  I recommend waiting 10 days after plastic surgery, assuming an uncomplicated postoperative course, before flying after having plastic surgery.  The concern is blood clots in the legs while in the air.  I also encourage patient to wear compressive antiembolism stockings.