Having a nice, flat midsection is something that many people dream of; and yet, the idea of a tummy tuck may seem intimidating. It isn’t so much the procedure itself that unnerves the people we speak with; they know they won’t feel a thing thanks to adequate sedation and anesthetic. What presents the most concern is how they may feel after their anesthesia wears off and for the weeks after surgery. Abdominoplasty is more than a little surgical procedure; it tightens up the muscles of the abdominal wall, and these are muscles that we use just about all day every day. So what is that recovery like?
We don’t want you to feel uncertain about any procedure that will help you feel better about your body. Here, we point out a few details of tummy tuck recovery that may help you as you move forward into your best self.
A Balancing Act
The first thing to know about tummy tuck recovery is that this time is a balancing act of returning to a normal state of activity and giving the body plenty of rest, so healing occurs successfully. Patients used to be told to remain sedentary after surgery, but that was found to have some pretty significant disadvantages, such as blood clots. Today, we don’t want patients to stay down for too long. As soon as they can be up and walking, that’s what we want. Within reason, of course.
Tummy Tuck Recovery
Recovery after a tummy tuck revolves around two important things. The first is eliminating discomfort, and the second is early mobilization. The best prevention of postoperative complications and even blood clots is early mobilization. Our patients are on their feet on the day of surgery and are walking around the house from day one. They may have drains, but they always have what we refer to as a “pain pump”, which is a little narrow tube that is inserted at the time of surgery and drips Novocain (local anesthetic) onto the repaired muscles to keep them comfortable. This, combined with some Tylenol and medications, like Flexeril to prevent muscle spasm, make for a safe and quick recovery. No narcotics needed! Our patients are alert and comfortable. All in all, ten days to two weeks maximum is more than sufficient.
The recovery process for tummy tuck surgery is something to plan for, for sure, but nothing to fear. Learn more about this procedure and how we see you though to your new and improved body. Call 201-567-9595.
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