How to Heal After a Tummy Tuck

A tummy tuck, or abdominalplasty, is performed on an individual trying to rid scars from childbirth, excess skin from weight loss or from what is called an apron (hanging stomach). Recovery time can vary between patients due to their health condition and some people just heal faster. A tummy tuck is major surgery. It is important to take care to prevent any complications that you can, before and after the surgery.

Instructions

• 1

  Before getting a tummy tuck, quit smoking at least a month before and do not start smoking as soon as you get home from the hospital. Healing from the surgery is done by oxygen getting to the wound. Smoking will cause less oxygen to the wound. Smoking causes infections. Infections from the tummy tuck surgery can cause your skin to die and it will turn black. It will prolong the healing process and add not weeks, but months to your recovery. An infection will cause your scar to not heal as nice as it should. It can also cause a wound to ooze.

• 2

  Make sure that you wear the drains that your surgeon inserts. Although, you will have swelling, the drains will eliminate fluids that your body wants to hang on to.

• 3

  Keep in mind that pain is something that is really minor as long as you take a pain medication. Some surgeons prescribe a stronger pain pill than others, but the faster you deal with the pain, the faster your healing will take place.

• 4

  Wear your binder or compression garment. The binder will feel almost like a straight jacket especially if the surgery is done during hot weather. Your surgeon will probably recommend that you wear it for at least a month to six weeks. Many people wear it even longer. It does get looser as the weeks pass by. If it feels like it really isn't tight, then you should probably buy a smaller one even though it can be expensive. The most comfortable binder is the girdle type.

• 5

  Don't shower or let the wound get wet until your surgeon tells you that you can. This can also cause an infection. Normally you have to wait for 10 to 12 days, and until then take sponge baths. Do not let the wound get wet.

• 6

  Know that normally after a week from being released you will start to feel a lot better. At about this time, you can do light exercise, such as walking. As time elapses, add in what you feel your body can physically do without reopening your wounds.