Can I Still Play Full-contact Sports After a Tummy Tuck?

Congrats on your weight loss!  Tummy tuck involves the removal of excess, loose skin and the tightening of the separated muscles of the belly wall.  By far, the muscle tightening takes longer than the skin to heal in terms of returning to your regular exercise activity.  Even so, after healing, you should be able to return to your full contact athletics.  If you have not had full term pregnancies, the muscles may actually be in good position, and muscle tightening may not even be necessary.

One of the most crucial aspects of the the tummy tuck or abdominoplasty procedure is the plication (or tightening) or the anterior rectus fascia.  Some plastic surgeons refer to this as tightening of the muscles.  After a tummy tuck, I typically have patients refrain from any strenuous activities for 4-6 weeks.  After this time, patients can begin resume all of their normal activities.  There is no reason why a patient can't resume contact sports after they have fully recovered from a tummy tuck.  Obviously, you should go over this issue with your plastic surgeon prior to surgery.