Do Tummy Tuck Patients Usually Go Home the Day of the Procedure?

I perform surgery at an outpatient surgery center. Most patients are usually discharged home, preferably with a nurse for one day.  It is the rare patient who, for a variety of reasons, may benefit from additional monitoring ( as an overnight stay or as an inpatient).  Regardless, when you are discharged home it is important to have a good support system to help you during the healing process ( the more help the better).  Generally speaking, “mommy makeover” procedures are associated with a very significant physical ( and often emotional) recovery period,  often underestimated by patients. Best wishes. 

Although a tummy tuck isn't a trivial procedure, most patients do very well going home after surgery. One thing that has been very helpful is the use of an On-Q "pain pump" which automatically infuses numbing anesthetic into the area for the first 3 days. For patients with medical conditions that put them in a higher risk category for complications, it makes more sense sometimes to stay overnight.