I’m told after my tummy tuck to wear Spanx. Are open crouch ones necessary? What kind do you suggest?

Yes I always recommend wearing the spanks with the open crotch area, as it is hard to and sometimes painful to pull down the spanks several times a day.  

Hi there and thank you for your question.  Compression garments are very often recommend following a tummy tuck to help reduce swelling, prevent fluid accumulations, maintain the contour that was surgically achieved, and for patient comfort.  Garments with the open crotch are not necessary, but they are often preferred by patients as it makes using the bathroom much easier in the immediate post operative period.  Some offices will sell or provide specific compression garments to their patients, but Spanx options tend to be very commonly used as they are easy to find at local stores and most of the time patients are already used to wearing these beforehand.  It is always wise to discuss appropriate garment use with your Board Certified Plastic Surgeon directly.  If you are concerned about whether or not your garment is sufficient, you can always bring it in to your surgeons office to ask the staff.  I hope that this helps and I wish you all of the best!

A compression garment is recommended after a tummy tuck to help reduce the swelling. Spanx is very similar to the medical grade garments that are recommended after a tummy tuck and an open crotch is only for convenience when it comes to going the bathroom.

Compression garments like Spanx are great after surgery as they help reduce swelling and prevent fluid accumulation. Open crotch garments are not necessary but can be helpful. There are a number of manufacturers that range in price, but Spanx is one of the most popular. Good luck!Dr. Basile

The key is non constricting compression. Spanx does the job well. Figures are so varied there is no way far a surgeon to keep sufficient garments in stock to fit them all. An open crotch is not needed. The use of drains is of little value but if present compression over them can cause damage. 

Thank you for your question. All of my patients are placed in compression garments with a hole in the crotch immediately after surgery. There are 2 reasons for this. One, I have my patients keep their garment on until their first follow up a couple of days after surgery to ensure there is no opportunity for no compression. The second reason involves drains. If you have drains which typically are inserted in the mons area right below the incision, it is smart to allow them to come through the hole in the garment. If you try to bring them up through the top of the garment, and your abdomen is numb, it could possibly dig into the skin and cause wound healing complications. Once drains are removed, I allow my patients to wear spanks without a hole as long as the areas that were liposuctioned have compression on them. Every Board Certified Plastic Surgeon has different post-op protocol so I would recommend asking your his/her opinion on post-op garment. Good luck and best wishes!

Patient's are put in a garment after drains are removed usually one week after surgery.  The purpose of the garment is for comfort, reduce swelling and help with body contouring.  The garments that we provide for the patients do have an open crouch which is easier for using the bathroom.