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7 Tips for Tummy Tuck Recovery Time
Tummy Tuck

7 Tips for Tummy Tuck Recovery Time

Written by
Juli Albright
Updated
Juli is our patient advocate and community connection. She balances work, life and family with grace.
Juli is our patient advocate and community connection. She balances work, life and family with grace.

7 Tips for Tummy Tuck Recovery Time

When making a decision on when to plan your tummy tuck, it is essential to consider recovery time.  

Cosmetic surgeries, such as a tummy tuck or breast augmentation, are an effective and safe way to get rid of seemingly impossible-to-reduce fat. Women often opt for cosmetic surgeries when their belly fat does not respond to exercise and diet, they have loose skin, or when they are experiencing breast and / or abdominal sagging.

Regardless of the reasons, a person who undergoes a plastic surgery procedure needs plenty of time to recover. This recovery phase requires patients to follow many post-surgical instructions, which may include everything from taking plenty of rest and pain medication to eating healthy food to avoid complications.

If you are all set for your cosmetic surgery, incorporating these seven tips into your daily routine can help you speed up your recovery process.

Tips for Tummy Tuck Recovery Time

1.    Rest!

Whether it is breast implants, breast lift or abdominoplasty, remember that your body has gone through a major change. It requires minimal movement even weeks after the surgery. You need to maintain a bent-over position while sitting, standing and lying down in the first week.

If your surgeon has used drains, he/she will remove them by the end of the second week. You will have to wear an abdominal binder made of a compression garment for five weeks after the plastic surgery. After four weeks, you can resume walking exercises followed by strenuous physical activities in the fifth or sixth week.

However, if you undergo a rectus diastasis repair, many board-certified plastic surgeons recommend avoiding hardcore adnominal movements, such as weightlifting, for three months after surgery. As mentioned above, the recovery process in a plastic surgery procedure requires patience and time. Due to this, many people opt for non-surgical body contouring procedures.

Although these procedures do have a shorter recovery period, they cannot replicate the surgical results of invasive surgeries. Know that your plastic surgeon may recommend a different recovery timeline that fits your needs. But you need at least fifteen days to heal from the post-surgery effects. It is better to get some time off from any task that is physically demanding, be it household chores, child care, work assignments, or driving. Just take plenty of rest.

2.    Keep Calm to See the Complete Results

A tummy tuck is a major surgical procedure that requires an adequate amount of time to heal and recover. That means you have to wait at least three to five months to see the complete results.  Body swelling during the initial phase is normal and happens due to the temporary filling of serous fluid in the space created surgically. It may take weeks for swelling and scars to wear off. Be patient!

3.    Manage Pain

Experiencing mild to moderate pain or discomfort after cosmetic procedures like abdominoplasty or breast augmentation surgery is common. The surgeries are painful due to the tightening of the musculature in the chest or abdomen. Your surgeon will prescribe pain medication that can help you alleviate the pain. Make sure you have a stock of pain killers before your surgery so that you can manage aches for the recovery time of weeks ahead.

4.    Focus on Your Diet

A healthy body comes with a healthy diet. That means consuming the right foods is of paramount importance when it comes to achieving speedy recovery. You need to stock up your pantry with easy-to-prepare healthy foods, juices, and water.

Keep in mind that the first few days after the surgery are more painful. You might feel nauseous and lose your appetite. This is when you need the most strength to make it through the next weeks. So eat lots of healthy food and drink plenty of water.

5.    Wear Grade Compression

After surgery, your over lying soft tissues need to adjust to the new changes. This is when abdominal binders come into play. The medically designed binders are great to provide the much-needed compression and support required for speedy healing.  They are comfortable to wear and heal your skin smoothly, giving it the desired shape.  

Also, the society of plastic surgeons recommends wearing post-surgical bra after a breast augmentation surgery. The garment in the surgical bra keeps implants from moving and helps minimize swelling. That is why wearing a compression garment, such as a surgical bra, is one of the most critical items to buy after the surgery.

6.    Avoid Smoking and Drugs

Getting infected is probably the last thing anyone would want after a cosmetic surgery. Nicotine or any other drug can sabotage your plastic surgery. Not only does it make harder for the body to recover but it also reduces tissue and blood flow. Moreover, people who are addicted to drugs or smoke are at a greater risk of catching an infection, as nicotine can impair the body’s immune system.

7.    Choose Clothing Sensibly

Clothing plays a vital role in your recovery phase. Wearing comfortable clothes is essential to feel easy and relaxed post-surgery. It is better to buy loose and comfortable garments before your surgery so that you can focus on the things that are more important for your quick recovery.

Bottom Line

To reiterate, it is important that you;

·      Avoid lifting

·      Eat healthy

·      Take plenty of rest

·      Take time to resume normal activities

·      Wear comfortable clothes

·      Avoid smoking

To see the full recovery with the desired results, make sure you consult your surgeon and discuss all your concerns regarding post-surgery effects.

Written by
Juli Albright
Updated

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