Why Does Someone Have to Walk Bent over After a Full Tummy Tuck?

Many of my patients will find it difficult to stand up straight after a tummy tuck due to tight muscle repair and skin resection.  However, everyone can walk erect after the first week or two and will usually be able to get back to the beach, gym, or strenuous activities by the third week and beyond. 

There are two main reasons why a person walks bent over after a tummy tuck. One is the muscle plication or tightening and the other is the lower abdominal skin excision. The more skin is excised, the more bent over the patient is. The reason for this, is that most surgeons want the old belly button opening or scar removed and not leave a small vertical scar in the lower abdomen between the belly button and the suprapubic scar. The surgeon needs to assess this preoperatively and inform the patient of this posibility to avoid a very tight closure, causing the patient to be bent over and risk of dehiscence or separation of the closure from undue tension. In my practice I tell my abdominoplasty patients that they might be slightly bent over for a few days and all of them are straight in 3-5 days. If you do not tighten the lower abdominal skin appropriately, then shortly after your procedure after the swelling resolves, you will end up with some loose lower abdominal skin or fold. It takes a lot of experience and judgement to find the happy medium. A board certified plastic surgeon can explain what you can expect from your specific surgery. Good luck.