The first follow-up consultation after a tummy tuck

The first follow-up consultation after a tummy tuck

The tummy tuck is a complex and delicate plastic surgery that should only be performed by an experienced, board-certified plastic surgeon. The experience of the plastic surgeon is important to help you achieve good results after the procedure and also to have a smooth and short recovery process. The journey to get a flat and firm tummy starts with the pre-operative consultation and ends a year after the procedure when the last follow-up consultation will take place. 

The follow-up consultations after the tummy tuck are important for the patient. They are scheduled to allow the plastic surgeon to monitor the recovery process and how the healing is going. These consultations will take place a few days after the procedure, a month, three months, six months, and twelve months after the surgery.

But the first follow-up consultation is probably the most important of them all. This consultation often takes place no longer than a few days after the tummy tuck. The plastic surgeon will want to see the patient shortly after the procedure to check how the recovery is going and to make sure there are no signs of a severe complication. 

For example, infection is a serious complication that can occur in the first few days following any type of plastic surgery procedure. Developing an infection can unnecessarily prolong the recovery process and also trigger other complications such as wound opening and skin necrosis, among others. The plastic surgeon will check how the incisions look like during the first follow-up consultation. Often if there is pus coming from the incision site, redness, or intense pain in the area, it means an infection has occurred. If this is the case, the plastic surgeon will prescribe treatment. An experienced plastic surgeon will advise you to take antibiotics treatment for five days post-op, even starting on the day of the surgery to avoid this complication from occurring.

At the first follow-up consultation, the plastic surgeon will also take out the drain tubes if you had them inserted. Drain tubes are often used after the tummy tuck. They are hollow tubes inserted on each side of the abdomen close to the incision site, and their role is to help evacuate the blood and other fluids that would otherwise accumulate at the surgical site and create seromas and hematomas. The drain tubes are often kept in place for 24 to 48 hours and have to be removed when the drainage stops. This means the drain tubes are often removed during the first follow-up consultation with the plastic surgeon. 

The plastic surgeon will also ask you certain things about how are you coping with the recovery process during the first follow-up consultation. Also, you get a chance to ask the plastic surgeon about the right time to resume certain activities or work.