It Will Change You-Physically and Emotionally Understanding that it’s not an overnight transformation will make the weeks of discomfort and several months of restricted activity much more tolerable. In a separate post, I gave tips for preparing for a tummy tuck. It’s a Long-Term Investment in YourselfĪfter seeing my tummy tuck before & after photos, you’ll know that you’re going to look and feel super after your recovery is complete. A short course of pain medication won’t make you addicted to it. Most patients find that pain medication, when taken appropriately, makes recovery much easier. After a tummy tuck, you’ll have a sense of tightness, tenderness, and discomfort in both the front and back of your abdomen. Even if you don’t like taking medicine, fill the prescriptions. We’ll give you prescriptions for pain medication prior to your surgery.

Eat a handful of nuts 2 to 3 times a day-opt for raw nuts rather than roasted/salted nuts.Enjoy a handful of berries or other fresh fruit several times a day.If you become constipated, try these tips:.Too much salt can dehydrate you, worsening constipation.Avoid these constipation-causing foods for the first week after your procedure:.Soda, tea, coffee, and other beverages can be added, but aren’t included in that count, so think water, water, water! Drink a lot of water, i.e., 8 to 10 glasses every day.Some of my tummy tuck patients take an over-the-counter stool softener the day before surgery to avoid the constipation that occurs with post-op pain medications.Here are some helpful tips to keep things moving: It’s pretty common to have constipation after any abdominal surgery. After the draining has stopped, I’ll take the drains out. It’s important to empty the drains as they fill or at least every couple of hours.If you see oozing and/or redness/soreness around your sutures, call us and come in.Follow the instructions I give you for wound care and take special care not to get your sutures wet.It runs around $9 at Walgreens, although other pharmacies sell it, as does Amazon. Use a chlorhexidine solution in the shower the night prior to or morning of your procedure.Hopefully, after a month without tobacco, you’ll be able to quit forever! Smoking takes oxygen away from your tissues, where you need it to heal. If you smoke, quit at least 4 weeks before and remain smoke-free for 4 weeks after your tummy tuck.Don’t overtax yourself, but do get moving, as it will speed recovery and help you feel emotionally better, too! And stay away from the gym until I give you the OK, OK? Get Healed Without Infection

Extend this, when you’re comfortable, to a short walk around the main floor of your home, then outside. Get up every hour and walk around the bedroom. While rest is important to recovery, moving is also essential. Even a local teen hired to help after school can give you the assistance you’ll be grateful to have! Get Moving!Īfter your tummy tuck, you’ll have to shuffle slowly in a slightly bent-over position for a few days because your tummy will be super tight. It’s best to set this up in advance-perhaps your spouse can take a week off, or a relative can visit. Lifting little ones in and out of the stroller, highchair, tub or car seat lifting groceries out of the cart and into the car and cabinets moving furniture around to run the vac-all these activities must be done by someone else while you’re recovering. Find what works for you and get that extra sleep! Learn more about the factors that can affect getting a good night’s sleep after surgery in this study published in Current Opinion in Anaesthesiology. Sleep is Mother Nature’s healer! Some of my patients find that a recliner gives them the best sleep, while others discover that tucking a pillow beneath their knees is adequate. Taking time off from work and avoiding strenuous activities are even more important if your tummy tuck surgery was combined with other surgeries as part of a mommy makeover. If you have a job that involves lifting, you’ll need to either take more time away from work or be temporarily reassigned to a position with no lifting. You’re going to want a minimum of one week to recover most of my tummy tuck patients find that 10 to 14 days is even better. Knowing how many of my patients are considering this procedure, I’m sharing these tips to make recovery even easier! Get Time Off Most of them wish they’d taken the plunge earlier than they did. Indiana tummy tuck patients at my plastic surgery practice come from throughout the Schererville, Merrillville, and Valparaiso area and love their results.

Things needed for tummy tuck recovery