How long after a Tummy Tuck until you can soak in water?

I generally advise patients avoid submerging themselves in water for at least 1 month after their surgery, and this includes a bath or hot tub. The reason for this is that it decreases the risk of infection. However, please ask your surgeon as they may have different advice.

Every surgeon differs in their postoperative instructions. I typically counsel my patients to wait 6 weeks after surgery to fully submerge their incisions if all the areas are fully healed at that time. It sounds like you are healing well, but a quick call to your surgeon’s office is the best way to definitively answer your question. Congratulations on your procedure and best of luck with your continued healing!

I typically allow my abdominoplasty patients to gently shower early and then pat their incisions and drain sites dry with a new fresh towel. I don't like patients to reuse the towel, especially while they still have drains in.Once all drains come out, and the skin edges have epithelialized (healed over) a clean bath should be ok. Community hot tubs are another story. Improperly maintained hot tubs are a more common source of skin infections, such as pseudomonas folliculitis. Of course, all people heal differently. Patients should always ask their board certified plastic surgeon about when to shower and bath in the tub.

Thank you for the question.

Your plastic surgeon will be in the best position to guide you in regards to activity resumption after tummy tuck surgery. From the healing standpoint most patients are able to swim again starting 3 to 6 weeks after surgery. You will want all incision lines to be completely healed.  You will also want to be mostly pain-free and free from concern such as muscle spasm.

From the safety standpoint, much of the timing of returning to swimming will depend on exactly what you mean by “swimming”. For some people this means wading knee-high in shallow water;  for some people it may means swimming  long distances in choppy water.  For this reason, return to activities should be individualized and gradual.

In other words, start slow and "listen to your body" as you gradually progress in intensity/duration of exercise. Best wishes.

Thank you for your post. In general, your incisions need to be perfect, all drains removed and the drain site healed perfect, and the muscle repair needs to be mature with no areas of fluid collection. If the incisions are not perfect, or drain site, then you are at risk of infection in pools, hot tubs, oceans/lakes. You don't have to have perfect incisions to shower, just not submerge in bath or the above. However, I ask my patients to wear their abdominal binder non-stop, except for showers, for at least 4 weeks, so unless you want to hang out at the beach with your binder, then no beach. Best Wishes, Pablo Prichard, MD