I am going to be having tummy tuck and breast augmentation next month. Wondering how best to prevent openings from occurring?

Thank you for your question about minimizing wound opening after a tummy tuck and breast lift. Four key things would help to minimize wound opening after a tummy tuck and breast lift or mastopexy. These four items are: minimizing activity after the procedure. In plastic surgery, there is a strain on the tissue and a significant amount of tension in the tissue. If you move around too much during a recovery period, you can cause too much strain on the incision and cause wound openings. Therefore, limit your activity after a tummy tuck and breast lift. The second factor in minimizing wound breakdown is ingesting at least 100 grams of protein daily after your procedure. Most patients cannot eat this amount of protein after their surgery. Instead, I suggest you use protein shakes and protein drinks to achieve 100 grams of protein or more daily. Protein helps the body to heal quickly and minimizes wound breakdown. Another way to minimize wound breakdown is to stop smoking three months before the procedure. If you smoked before the procedure, I would suggest you never smoke again after the procedure. Cigarettes contain carbon monoxide and nicotine. Carbon monoxide prevents oxygen from getting into tissues.
Furthermore, nicotine causes vaser constriction and prevents oxygen from reaching the wound's edges. Therefore smoking increases your chances of wound breakdown. Another way to minimize wound breakdown is to go in a hyperbaric chamber for several sessions after your procedure. Hyperbaric chambers infuse oxygen into the tissue, minimizing tissue loss and wound breakdown. Steristrips do not significantly minimize wound breakdown. In my experience, they make it worse. In my experience, the adhesive material in steristrips causes blisters and can aggravate wound breakdown. Silicone gel sheeting and silicone cream do not minimize wound breakdown. After the incision is healed, you can apply silicone creams to minimize scarring. Silicone cream is usually applied 6-8 weeks after the surgery when the incision is healed. I hope this helps answer your question regarding ways to minimize wound opening after a tummy tuck and breast lift.
If you have any more questions regarding reconstructive surgery after massive weight loss, please contact my office. Reconstructive surgeries after massive weight loss include an abdominoplasty, tummy tuck, thigh lift, breast lift, mastopexy, arm lift, brachioplasty, torsoplasty, back lift, buttock augmentation, and buttock lift. Since these reconstructive surgeries after massive weight loss, are big procedures, please seek an experienced, board certified plastic surgeon with significant experience performing these types of lifts. Do your research. Make sure they have performed at least 100 of each procedure you are considering for reconstructive surgery after massive weight loss. Make sure they have the before and after pictures to prove it. Carefully examine their before and after pictures and check their reviews on RealSelf.

Thank you for submitting your questions! Steri strips should automatically be applied to your breast incisions after surgery and are to stay in place for the first week. Silicone scar sheets and/or scar cream can be applied at two weeks post-op. Prioritize protein after surgery and complete dressing changes to ensure you're healing properly and that will prevent openings.

Hello and thank you for your question.
Please follow your surgeons instructions. Do not apply anything to the surgical area without speaking to your surgeon first. Best wishes!.