Hustle for the muscle repair

I am 3 weeks out from tummy tuck with diastasis recti and hernia repair with Dr. Hughes. The time has finally come and the surgery date is set. Throughout my fitness journey I have kept pushing off surgery hoping to be able to close the gap myself using every exercise and technique out there that promised to fix my mum tum. While I did make remarkable progress in core strength and postural improvements, the diastasis recti remains and is a visible flaw in my physique competitions as well as being a contributing factor to back pain and a constant worry about my safety while lifting weights with a hernia.

I have done a lot of research about my surgery options and knew just fixing the hernia would not be enough with the severity of my abdominal separation, and I would only let a highly qualified plastic surgeon work on me because it's important to me to be stronger by having a fully functioning core and for the visible improvement to look as good as it can.

I consulted with many doctors, and Dr. Hughes really put me at ease with his confidence and no nonsense approach. He doesn't sugar coat things or make promises he can't keep. He makes it clear to not expect perfection, but that he will give the best results possible. He also emphasized my part in the process by following all post surgical protocols and staying in communication with him and coming to all follow up appointments.

His office is very cozy and the staff are really nice and helpful. Lorena has been extremely helpful in scheduling my surgery and providing info on financing options. So far it has been a wonderful straightforward experience as the countdown to my surgery date begins.

My tummy tuck surgery went very well and I am currently recovering and healing nicely. The day of my scheduled surgery, there was a slight delay due to a miscommunication with the anesthesiologist, but everything was handled in a very professional manner and the situation was rectified promptly. The delay time flew by thanks to Dr. Hughes’ dad who conversation and stories were a delight to my husband and me while we waited. Also, due to the delay, my husband had to leave to pick our kids up from school before I was out of surgery, but a ride home was arranged for me with nurse Robson and I could not have been in better care. Needless to say, there were a few hiccups on surgery day that were out of anyone’s control, but my surgery went on as planned and everything went smoothly. The experience was great thanks to Dr. Hughes, his staff, and everyone involved that day.
I returned one week later for my post op appointment and finally got to see my results. Taking off the binder and removing the dressings was better than opening a present on Christmas Day. The results already look amazing! The scar is low and symmetrical, my belly button is flat, and my abdominal muscles are no longer separated due to my diastasis recti. I’m comfortable and healing very well, and I am following my post op instructions to ensure the best recovery possible. I’m looking forward to my healing progress and seeing the final results once all the swelling is gone. I already know I’m going to be very happy with the improvements from having my tummy tuck.

Happy 6 weeks post tummy tuck surgery!! Today, I got my first glimpse of my results without all the lines on my skin from the compression garment, and all I can say is, “Wow!” I am so happy with how my stomach looks. My belly button is perfect and is no longer an outie and my abdominal muscles are close together where they should be giving me my waistline back.
Dr. Hughes is a masterful surgeon and I am incredibly grateful to him and his staff for taking such great care of me.
I’m not gonna lie, recovery was a lot harder and longer than I expected. I assumed I would bounce back quick and be doing cardio at a minimum by the 6 week mark, but my body needed extra time to heal. Around week 3, I had a small superficial wound opening at the center of my incision. Fortunately, nothing too serious and it’s healing beautifully. My drain was in a little over 4 weeks until the fluid collection was low enough for them to be removed. And now at 6 weeks, any remaining fluid accumulation has cleared up, but I still have to take it easy a couple more weeks to be safe before resuming all normal activities and beginning to exercise again. Through it all, Dr. Hughes has answered my numerous and frequent questions and guided me through to the best possible outcome.