RECOVERY FROM A TUMMY TUCK

Recovery after a tummy tuck requires you to be extremely compliant with the treatment. During your first week, including immediately after surgery, you should be able to walk around and drink fluids. This will decrease your risk of complications, including blood clots. In general, you need to take about two weeks off work. This does not mean you are going to be completely recovered in two weeks; you need to be extremely patient, since it will take about nine months for all the swelling to go away and to see the final results. However, you will definitely see an improvement within the first month. You’re still going to feel lumpy, bumpy, and uneven in some areas, but this resolves with time.

You cannot lift anything heavy for five to six weeks, but you can start doing cardio in three to four weeks. Be sure that in the first week you do not walk straight; this can create openings in the incision and widen the scar, which can be prevented by walking with your hips flexed forward. You should start by drinking fluids and eating a soft diet. Do not eat hamburgers or other fatty food the first day after surgery, because it can cause nausea, and you want to avoid rupturing the incisions or loosening the staples. You can eat mashed potatoes, soups, and other fluids like juice, and in the second week you can progress to a more solid diet. You will need to wear a girdle for three to four months. This will help decrease your swelling significantly. During your postoperative recovery, we will guide you through all the steps you need to follow to expedite your recovery and produce a good result.