Is the Binder Suppose to Be So Tight That I Struggle to Breath?

It may not be your binder, and difficulty breathing after a tummy tuck might be the sign of a true emergency. Best to call your surgeon from the emergency room after you have been evaluated for blood clots and problems in your chest.

Thank you for the question. The simple answer is NO! You should loosen the garment. If this does not improve your symptoms, then contact your surgeon as you proceed to the nearest emergency room immediately! This may be a signal of a more serious underlying problem such as a Deep Venous Thrombosis (blood clot(s) in the legs), which can dislodge and travel to the lungs known as a Pulmonary Embolus. The other big worry would be a Pneumothorax or a collapsed lung.

There are other problems that can give you the same symptoms, such as a heart attack, but I am giving you the top worries under the assumption that you are otherwise healthy since there is no medical history to go on. 

In any case you should notify your plastic surgeon as they will probably want to see you immediately if you do not get better by loosening the binder and fairly soon if you do improve to make sure that your incisions are healing well and the skin of your abdomen looks ok.

I hope this helps. Good luck.