An Insight into Timeline for Tummy Tuck Recovery Stages

When it comes to the tummy tuck procedure, you can observe the results right after the surgery. All the excess skin will be gone off your belly making you feel lighter already. But, as the procedure involves removal of abdomen skin, it takes time for skin cells and tissues to recover. You will walk through various stages with the help of your surgeon initially and later on your own. This blog elaborates all the important points that you must take note of.

Tummy Tuck Recovery Time

One must understand that recovery time for Tummy Tuck varies depending on the respective patient. It depends mainly on:

• Patients’ age
• Medical history of the patient
• Type of tummy tuck operated
• Care during recovery time

Concisely, you can assume that it will take at least four to six weeks of time for you to recover from the surgery and in total it takes three months to fully recover back to normal. Depending on the factors given above, your surgeon will give a better estimation regarding your recovery through each stage.

Right after the surgery

After the procedure, you will have to stay in the hospital for a few hours or days until the doctor finds you fit to leave. During this time, your surgeon will instruct you about all the things you have to take care of at home, including handling and emptying your drain. As there will be no expert to take care of you at home, you will get a detailed list of medications that you need, followed by proper guidance on physical activities you can do, your resting positions, and the kind of food you will be taking.

Most importantly, you will be wearing an abdominal binder for compression to avoid swelling, blood clots and discharge of fluids. It will provide you the necessary support to keep the abdomen intact. You will be on medication for initial days after the surgery to relieve pain and prevent any inflammation in the surgical area.

First week of recovery

The first few days are very tough as you feel discomfort most of the time. Your physical mobility will be largely restricted to the very essentials for the first two days.
You might have difficulty while standing up, bending and during other activities so you must take help from family members in the initial stage.

You need to go through a few processes during the initial weeks of recovery:

• To collect the excess fluids expelled from the incision area, the surgeon will attach a drain that removes it timely. You should use it for the first five or six days only and can remove it earlier as well, depending on how quickly your body is recovering.
• First two days are for complete bed rest, after which, you might be in the condition to do some physical activity. Do not engage in any physical activity unless prescribed and do not start walking unless absolutely necessary.
• The dressing should be cleaned properly and changed every alternate day or as the doctor prescribed to avoid any infection in future.
• Wearing an abdominal compression garment is a must if you are hoping for a speedy recovery without engaging in any medical complications.
• Talking about the diet, one must avoid high sodium intake and remain hydrated. Swelling, mild pain and discomfort are common reactions during recovery but if you feel feverish, nauseous and discomfort near incision, do talk to your doctor immediately.

Journey from first to sixth week

After two weeks, you can continue with your daily activities but make sure to minimize your physical activities to a level where you could feel comfortable. Continue taking care from all aspects and increase your daily activity gradually to keep pace with your recovery.

As for the diet plan, it is better to avoid high sodium intake and keep a balanced diet. From the third week onwards, you will not feel any discomfort, though some swelling will still be there but it will start reducing now.

Start applying the scar removing treatment after the doctor prescribes to get a clear skin after full recovery. However, you need to wear the abdominal compression garment for more weeks as the surgeon will direct. Do not remove your abdomen compressor until advised by your plastic surgeon, as it can cause problems in the incision area, which will ultimately delay your recovery.

Last stage of recovery

Some patients fully recover after the sixth week whereas some take one to three months to resume normal activities.

After complete recovery of your incision area is fully, you can go back to your normal life. But you need to continue with your healthy diet, avoid smoking, and keep a daily exercise routine. Also, taking this opportunity you can continue to have a healthy lifestyle by adopting daily exercises, consuming a balanced diet and quitting smoking.

Last words

For a bonus tip, you should know that your recovery process gets smooth when you take timely medications and follow all the instructions given by your surgeon diligently. You can definitely see the change by just following a regular order.

It is important to approach only a professional surgeon to undergo the tummy tuck procedure. An experienced and board certified plastic surgeon can give you better consultation, examine you timely to monitor your progress and make necessary changes on time for speedy recovery.

You can always visit our website and find an experienced doctor in your preferred location. Feel free to consult your chosen doctors to know about their way of doing the treatment. After interacting with all the shortlisted ones, it would be advisable to choose the best surgeon as per your specific requirement.