Can I Sleep on my Side After a Tummy Tuck?

Each plastic surgeon has his or her own rules for when Mommy Makeover patients can sleep on their sides.  The obvious answer to your question is to check with your plastic surgeon and follow his or her instructions to the "T".  The warm weather in Honolulu must make it easy for patients to sleep on their sides easier than in colder climates.  My tummy tuck patients wear a girdle with Reston foam inside on their abdomen for 2 weeks.  My breast lift patients wear a vest with ABDs (ABD stands for Army Battle Dressing) over each breast for 2 weeks and lay on their backs for 7 days.  The Mommy Makeover patient stays in a lawn chair position with pillows behind their backs and pillows under their knees for 72 hours, then they are allowed to lay flat.  With tummy tuck and breast lift both, patients are allowed to lay on their side with appropriate cushioning after 7 days, but be careful, this may only work in Hawaii.

Sleeping on your side shouldn't be an issue; it's lying flat that most surgeons do not like. Check with your surgeon. Best of luck.

Following a mommy makeover that includes a tummy tuck, it is important to keep your hips flexed so that you decrease tension on your lower abdominal incision.  Most often this means sitting up in bed at a 45 degree angle and putting a pillow under your knees. Usually is also ok to rest on your side with your hips flexed.  It is best to change positions from time to time rather than staying in only one position. You can straighten out completely after a few weeks.

You can certainly sleep on your side post an abdominoplasty and breast lift. You may not be able to sleep on your side at this point in your recovery but with time you will be able to. Different movement of your core and upper body only being 10 days post-op its very common not being able to sleep on your side quite yet. Consider speaking with your plastic surgeon regarding further concerns for peace-of-mind. 

Sleeping after abdominoplasty and breast surgery is normally best performed on the back
to avoid pressure on the implants or the areas of abdominal repair.  I usually recommend to my patients that they rent a Lazyboy type chair
where they can sleep in a “beach chair” position that allows a mild flex in the
waist while still actually being straight back and a slight bend to the knees
to maximize blood flow. Some patients find that the combination of surgery and standing
position can make their back sore or make it difficult to sleep. After 10 days,
it is probably safe to sleep in more of a side position although I usually
recommend placing a pillow under the back so it is more like a half back, half side
sleep as opposed to fully sleeping on the side. Ultimately, I would speak with
your surgeon and ask what they recommend as many surgeons have their own
opinion on what they would like their patients to do after surgery depending on
physically what was performed during the procedure.

Thank you for your question.At 10 days post-op please sleep however you are most comfortable. Experiment with having pillows to support your back and between your knees.Be well.

After breast augmentation, breast lift and tummy tuck it is
very important to initially limit your sleeping to on your back and little
elevated (like in a recliner chair) the reason for this is to avoid excess
stress on the incision lines that could pop stiches, and to prevent gravity
from pooling too much swelling in one area that could delay healing or again, stress
the incisions and make stiches pop.This
is most important for the first couple of weeks, and becomes less important the
further that you get form surgery and the more healing that has occurred.The exact timing for lifting that restriction
can vary greatly depending on exactly how your procedure was done and how
quickly you are healing.It is probably
best to direct you back to your surgeon for his or her specific
recommendations.In my practice I
usually start to let patients sleep partially tipped on their side at about 2
weeks, but you want to change position frequently and not sleep all the way on
one side or stay there all night long until about a month post op. Tummy
sleeping is a whole different story… usually patients do not feel comfortable
on their stomachs for any length of time until 2-3 months out just from the
stretch on the incision of the abdomen, and from the bulk of the implants where
there didn’t used to be anything! Don’t worry though, eventually you will get
back to your old sleeping habits comfortably.

Thank you for your question.  I would allow my patients to side sleep at this point.  You may still want to keep your upper body elevated on some pillows to assist with swelling from the breast augmentation.Best of luck,

 

         This is a frequently
asked question following abdominoplasty surgery and the answer depends on a
variety of factors. Your surgeon is the only one who can answer this question
because he’s the only one who knows exactly what was done in the operating
room.

 

         In most cases, I
prefer that patients sleep in a flexed position in a recliner chair. This keeps
tension off the wound closure. The return to side sleeping depends on multiple
variables including the tension on the wound closure, the lateral extent of the
incision and muscle plication to name a few.

 

         It’s important that
you discuss this issue with your plastic surgeon. Your surgeon can then make an
appropriate recommendation. 

Hello. You should consult your doctor, but you should be able to start sleeping on your side at ten days.


Jaime Perez, MD
Mommy Makeover Specialist
Plastic Surgery Center of Tampa