Tightness and Difficulty Standing Up Post-Tummy Tuck

I do a lot of "mommy makeovers," and I tell my patients that the abdominoplasty part is the toughest! After having quads, your abdominal wall was way over stretched, and you lived like that for four years. Now it is very tight and you are not used to the feeling.
Start straightening up slowly (you might find that the abdominal wall feels tightest in the morning and it gets better as you move around), do not push yourself. Allow your body to heal. I do not allow my patients to do any strenuous activity up to 6-8 weeks postop. Only then can they start doing sit ups or push ups.
You waited four years to have this done, give your body time to heal. It might take up to six months or longer before you get back to "normal."
Best regards.

Being tight after an abdominoplasty is normal, although most of my patients can stand up straight.  Your background in fitness and dance unfortunately does not confer any advantage in the speed of the healing process.  You are much too early in the recovery period to be worried about the tightness of your abdominal wall.

As a rough guide, it takes approximate two weeks before you even start to feel like you can stand up straight due to the skin and muscle tightness. I would start to encourage to stand up straight however do not force it, it will happen when it wants to happen. 

Hello Sheribrock, Thank you for your questions about difficulty standing straight after tummy tuck.  During a tummy tuck, the rectus abdominis muscles are sewn together with permanent suture. In your case, the abdominal wall was also further treated with a hernia repair.  In addition, your abdominal skin was pulled tightly to achieve a flat abdomen. Two weeks after a tummy tuck, it is not uncommon to be still bent over.  With time, your abdominal skin and abdominal muscles will relax and you will be able to stand up straight with minimal effort. This may take another one or two more weeks. I would suggest you take a muscle relaxant  pill to ease the pain and relax your rectus abdominis and erector spinae muscles. Please let your plastic surgeon know of your concerns.  I am certain that with time, things will resolve.  I hope that I have answered your questions regarding standing up straight after a tummy tuck. If you have any more questions regarding the tummy tuck or abdominoplasty, please contact my office.  Sincerely, Dr. Katzen. 

Typically my patients are able to stand up fully by 4-5 days.  It doesn’t necessarily mean that theres a problem.  These sort of situations definitely resolve themselves, but follow up with your plastic surgeon so that he can manage your care properly.

At 2 weeks out from surgery your body is still very much in the healing process. Do not be alarmed that you are still tight and cannot stand fully upright. Also, don't beat your self up that you are not "bouncing back" fast enough. Give it time and be patient. Typically around the 4-6 week mark the tissues will start to relax and you will be able to get back upright. Congratulations on your tummy tuck!

-Dr. Angelos