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Post-Op Care: 4 Tips For Recovering From A Tummy Tuck

So, you have decided to undergo a tummy tuck procedure. This procedure will remove excess skin and fat in the abdominal area, flattening and tightening your stomach. Since this is a surgery, there are certain risks and side effects associated with the procedure. However, to reduce the chance of these risks and side effects occurring, you can adhere to the following post-operative care tips after the surgery.

Tip #1: Follow the Advice of Your Surgeon

First and foremost, you need to make sure that you follow the instructions that your surgeon provides you to the letter. These instructions are given to you for a reason – your health, safety, and well-being. If you fail to follow the advice of your surgeon, you are dramatically increasing your risk of complications.

Tip #2: Arrange for Help at Home

After the tummy tuck procedure, you are going to need to rest. For the first couple of days, you are going to be sore and likely unable to stand up straight. Therefore, you will need some assistance with basic tasks, such as getting in and out of bed, going to the restroom, taking a shower, getting dressed, etc. Prior to your surgery, make sure that you have arranged for someone to be at home with you to help with these tasks, and to help you get up and walk around a few times a day to keep the blood flowing through the body.

Tip #3: Stop Smoking

If you are a smoker, it is important that you stop smoking before you undergo the procedure. There are many reasons for this. For starters, smoking causes you to require more anesthesia during the surgery as well as more pain medication after the surgery. In addition, smoking can significantly (in a negative way) impact your body's ability to heal properly. For more information about the effects of smoking on plastic surgery, talk to your plastic surgeon.

Tip #4: Avoid Constipation

Due to the anesthesia during the surgery and the pain medications that you will likely take afterward, there is a potential risk of constipation. Because of the location of the surgery, you won't want to deal with addition stress in the abdominal area. Therefore, you will want to reduce the chances of becoming constipated by taking a stool softener, which can be purchased at your local pharmacy without a prescription.

If you have any questions about the tummy tuck procedure or the recovery process, don't hesitate to ask your plastic surgeon. You can't expect to have great results if you aren't well-informed, and the more informed you are, the more confident you will be in your decision to have the surgery.