I am wondering if 10 days off from work will be enough time for me to return to work after a tummy tuck? I am a teacher.

Returning to Work after a Tummy Tuck depends mainly on the physical demands of your job, and how extensive your surgery is. For example a kindergarten teacher will have very different demands than an 12th grade AP English teacher. Although strenuous activity, and lifting more than ten pounds, must be avoided for 6 weeks, some people can return to work and daily activities as soon as 2 weeks after surgery. Softening of the surgical scars, return of sensation, and loosening of the tight sensation may take several months to a year or more. Abdominoplasty involves a recovery period of 10 to 14 days longer than most plastic surgical procedures. Initial discomfort and decreased mobility is typical. 3-5 days or more of assistance at home is usually indicated. Light activity is comfortable in 10-20 days. No sports or heavy lifting for 6 weeks or more – please discuss with your doctor for specific questions

The smaller tummy tuck operations that involve minimal liposuction in a close to normal weight patient allow recovery faster than more extensive lipo-abdominoplasty operations. It also depends on how tightly the abdominal flap is pulled and how major the abdominal wall repair is. If one is fairly tight because the upper abdominal skin has to be pulled more to get rid of the umbilical donor site, and/or the rectus fascia repair is correcting a very stretched out abdominal wall, the recovery will be 5-10 days longer for comfortable standing up and activity.I have seen patients who got on a plane for business or important personal travel seven days after a tummy tuck and did fine.Using Exparel, long-acting bupivacaine injection, at the time of tummy tuck, greatly diminishes the need for oral pain meds after surgery and allows more mobility in the first three days after surgery.  Using a drainless procedure, with quilting sutures to re-attach the abdominal flap down to the abdominal wall, also increases mobility, since there are no drainage tubes or pain pump tubes to deal with.Patients gradually return to a standing position over 3-7 days, sometimes a little more. When liposuction is done, there can be more discomfort after the first few days from the liposuction of the flanks, than there is from the tummy tuck itself.Full activity with running is usually at about six weeks, although I have seen patients run on a treadmill (without telling me) at two weeks.Recovery is variable and you should discuss this with your plastic surgeon to get a better idea in your own particular case. It will depend on how active your teaching job is, and if it can be modified to be more sedentary or less physically stressful in the first few weeks back on the job. Two or perhaps three weeks after surgery you should probably be able to do an office or sedentary teaching job and feel pretty good. By then you should not need oral narcotic pain meds, except occasionally or at bedtime, and get by on Tylenol.

I tell my patient's to plan on 10-14 days before going back to work. Jobs that demand high levels of physical activity may require a longer recovery period. Good luck!

I generally instruct women that they will be walking upright with minimal discomfort at 2 weeks. Most of my patients are comfortable within a week, but I prefer not to "rush" things with surgery and recovery. 10 days is probably sufficient, but it does not provide much leeway in terms of interpersonal postoperative recovery variability.

Ten to fourteen days is usually enough time to recovery from a tummy tuck when returning to non-physically strenuous activities.  We are all very unique in our response to pain and recovery, but if one is motivated and keeps active throughout the recovery process, I think that you will be able to get back to your job.  I hope all goes well for you!

I have had excellent experience with patient recovery when performing a nerve block during a tummy tuck. Every patient is different but typically I have the patient out of bed the evening after surgery and walking. The next day they can walk around the block or on a treadmill. If you're motivated, 10 days should be plenty of time to recover. Check out the web reference link below to check pricing.

After an abdominoplasty (tummy tuck), most people need pain pills for 3-5 days. Most will walk cautiously and may be a little bent over for 1-2 weeks.  You cannot do vigorous exercise or extremes of reach for about a month.  Most operations leave you fatigued for a month after surgery, as your body is putting energy into healing and does not have as much reserve for usual activities.  If you are aerobically fit you will recover energy faster than if you are deconditioned.  Thin people recover faster from a tummy tuck than those that are overweight.  You might be OK at 10 days, but for most that would be cutting it close.  Leave yourself some reserve if you can.  Hope this helps!

As a teacher you should be able to return to work in 10 to 14 days following a tummy tuck.   However, you will note that for the first 3 to 4 weeks following your surgery that you will tire easily, so try to keep your schedule light.  You should avoid lifting and heavy exercise for 4 to 6 weeks following the procedure, as this could compromise healing of any muscle repair that is performed.  Best wishes.

With smaller children in the classroom, 10 days is way too little time and you may need 3-4 weeks.. If you are teaching older students, I would plan 2 weeks at a minimum. It depends a lot on your physique and how much needs to be done.