The Tummy Tuck: What To Expect From Recovery

Like any form of cosmetic surgery, a certain amount of recovery time is required following a tummy tuck. In fact, it is one of the most invasive forms of plastic surgery and thus it fairly high on the list of long recoveries. Having said that, thousands of women a year go under the knife for a tummy tuck and come out the other side feeling good about their decisions. If you know what to expect beforehand and are willing to follow explicit instructions from your surgeon, you will have a much better chance of having a successful surgery and a speedy recovery.

The surgery itself will take somewhere around two hours to complete in most cases. Unlike many other forms of plastic surgery, the tummy tuck is typically not done as an outpatient procedure. You will be expected to stay in the hospital overnight while doctors and nurses look after your well-being and make sure that no complications arise.

Make no mistake about it: a tummy tuck may be an elective procedure, but it is a serious one and it comes with real risks. Don’t go into it with your head in the sand. Talk frankly to your surgeon about these risks and make your decision with a mind that has weighed all of the facts.

Following your release from the hospital, you’ll be expected to take it easy for some time. For about a week, things aren’t going to be pleasant, so be prepared for that. People handle pain and soreness in different ways, so it’s difficult to tell anyone exactly what their recovery will be like. Nonetheless, you should expect to be on a pain medication rotation for the first week and doing little else but sitting around waiting to heal. This isn’t a surgery to have if you don’t have someone that can help you do things around the house.

After that first week, it’s all about taking it slow and letting your body heal in its own time. After a few weeks, you will be able to return to something resembling your usual schedule, although with precautions in place.

You certainly won’t be doing any vigorous exercise for some time and you will be expected to treat any activity that requires the use of your abdominal muscles with extraordinary caution. Stay in contact with your surgeon and make sure everything is moving along at a nice rate. It won’t be the most fun couple of months you’ve ever had, but if you adhere to directions and don’t attempt to rush things, you will be happier for it.