Tummy Tuck Surgery After Care
What is tummy tuck recovery like?
Expect to feel sore and mild discomfort at the incision site immediately following your surgery. For the first five to ten days, you walk in a stooped over position. Within the first week after surgery, the doctor sees you and removes the drain. Expect to meet with your doctor regularly at two weeks, six weeks, six months, and one year after your surgery to assess healing and recovery.
You receive pain medication and get instructions for managing pain after surgery. Your pain medication dosage starts to taper off over two weeks. Three days after surgery, you can start taking 600mg of ibuprofen every eight hours.
Taking a shower is optional the day after surgery as tape strips cover your incisions. Leave strips in place until the doctor removes them in the office. Plan to wear the abdominal binder for the next four to six weeks.
Expect to feel sore for several weeks. Avoid heavy lifting and activities requiring extensive use of your truck for six weeks. You may walk immediately after the procedure and increase this activity as tolerated. Rigorous aerobics or jogging is allowed after six weeks. Around four to six weeks after surgery, your doctor may clear you to resume sexual activity.
At the earliest, plan to return to work two weeks after surgery. Swelling and bruising gradually resolves over several weeks. Expect scars to be red or pink for several months. Gradually, scarring will improve and lighten. Most swelling resolves in six weeks. Occasionally, swelling persists up to six months. Keep in mind, it typically takes six months to see the final results.
It is common experience numbness of the overlying skin or intermittent, shooting pains near your incision. In most cases, these issues completely resolve in a few months.
Tummy Tuck Postoperative Care
Every patient tolerates discomfort differently. At Crystal Clinic Plastic Surgeons, we make your surgery and recovery as pleasant as possible. We offer a combination of medications and pain pumps to manage postoperative pain, including advanced technology like a pain pump. Pain pumps effectively reduce pain, facilitate recovery, and reduce the need for stronger pain medication. Reducing pain medication helps postoperative patients avoid nausea and constipation.
Request a Plastic Surgery Consult
Learn more about abdominoplasty surgery by speaking with one of our experienced plastic surgeons at Crystal Clinic Plastic Surgery. Use our online form to request a consultation with a plastic surgeon today.