Tummy Tuck Recovery

Tummy Tuck Surgery for Patients in Clearwater, Tampa, Palm Harbor, Trinity, and throughout Florida – What to Expect During your Recovery

Your tummy tuck surgery will be altered to suit your body’s anatomy and your own appearance goals, and as such, your healing and recovery experience will also be unique to your situation. Still, there are certain aspects of the recovery process that are common among most tummy tuck patients, and knowing about these shared experiences can help you feel more relaxed as you prepare for your own abdominoplasty surgery.

Tummy tuck surgery is usually performed as an outpatient procedure and involves the use of a general anesthesia. Most abdominoplasty patients can go home the day of their surgery, but it’s always best to have someone else drive you home. If your tummy tuck is being performed along with another plastic surgery procedure, however, your doctor may suggest that you stay in the hospital for two or three days.

After your tummy tuck surgery, you’ll be fitted with a compression garment, which will hold your newly contoured abdominal tissues close to your body, so that your skin can adjust. Your surgeon will also place a drain in your incisions to remove any excess fluid. This drain will be removed within a few days after your tummy tuck. You can expect your abdomen to feel sore and tender for several days following your tummy tuck procedure, and bed rest is highly suggested.
For most patients, redness, swelling, and bruising will begin to subside within one to three weeks of surgery. Still, it’s best to limit any strenuous activities and exercise for at least six months. This is usually how long it takes to see the complete results of your tummy tuck surgery. During this time, and well into the next few months, it’s extremely important for you to follow your doctor’s instructions so that you can ensure a smooth and successful recovery. It’s also important to realize that even though the results of your surgery can be permanent, any large fluctuations in body weight are likely to change the appearance of your abdomen.

If you live in Tampa, Lutz, Clearwater, Wesley Chapel, or any nearby community and would like to learn more about tummy tuck surgery and the tummy tuck recovery process, you can contact the Bayside Center for Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. We’ll be happy to schedule a consultation with our surgeon, Dr. John Roach. Some women may choose to undergo an abdominoplasty or a mini tummy tuck as part of a “mommy makeover” to help them restore their pre-pregnancy figure, and we’ll be able to tell you about this plastic surgery option, as well.

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