Is a Tummy Tuck a Hospital Procedure?

Most tummy tucks are performed as outpatients.  In our practice, we require all patients to stay at an aftercare facility so they can be monitored and kept comfortable.  Even in the age of  pain pumps, it is nice to spend a night in aftercare.

Many outpatient facilities (such as UCLA) offer a postoperative nights' stay at a reasonable cost if the patient prefers to have their surgery done in a hospital setting.

However most tummy tucks are performed in licensed surgical facilities, hopefully by a major accrediting body.

Your surgeon and you can decide if your health warrants performing the procedure in a hospital with a postoperative stay.

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. 

These used to be performed exclusively in the hospital but currently the vast majority are performed outside of a hospital setting as an outpatient technique. The hospital may be indicated for more seriously ill individuals or those who require multiple surgeries at the same time or have medical issues that elevate the risks of anesthesia or surgery.