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Tummy Tuck Recovery

Conveniently located to serve Columbus, Cincinnati, and Cleveland

Do you have excess or sagging skin on your abdomen that won’t go away with diet and exercise? If so, you may benefit from a tummy tuck, also known as abdominoplasty. This procedure can give you a smooth and tight belly by removing extra skin and fat and tightening the abdominal muscles.

WHY CHOOSE THE COLUMBUS INSTITUTE OF PLASTIC SURGERY FOR YOUR BODY CONTOURING PROCEDURE?

At the Columbus Institute of Plastic Surgery, Dr. Shah specializes in delivering the very best results in body contouring surgery that meets or exceeds patient expectations in a safe and cost effective manner.  His years of expertise, specialized training and national reputation are all brought to bear on helping you to make the very best choice regarding body contouring procedures. Our highly trained staff and accredited surgical facilities help us to ensure that you will receive not only the best care but superlative service as well.

WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF RECOVERY?

Recovery after body contouring surgery can be divided into several stages.  The first step of recovery is how soon you will return to regular activities at home.  The vast majority of patients who have a body contouring procedure can return to normal activities at home within 1-10 days depending on the procedure.  This means light activities at home as you would do on your day off.  Usually, pain requiring narcotic pain medications subsides within this period of time and you can switch to extra strength Tylenol or Ibuprofin during this time.  In terms of physical activities, most patients can walk for exercise within two weeks, jog lightly in 4 weeks and resume all physical activities without restrictions in six weeks.  The skin in the area of liposuction procedures stays numb for up to three months and in the area of a skin removal procedure for up to 6-8 months.  The vast majority of swelling resolved in the first four weeks after surgery and the balance takes 4-6 months to resolve completely.  Scars take a full 12-18 months to fully mature and look their best.

HOW FAST CAN I RECOVER FROM LIPOSUCTION?

Recovery after liposuction can be variable and ranges from a day or two to a couple of weeks.  There are many different types of liposuction technologies that are advertised as the best next thing in Liposuction.  While these technologies are helpful to the surgeon, the overall recovery from Liposuction is not technology-dependent.  The truth is that recovery from liposuction is volume-dependent.  If small amounts of fat are removed from small problem spots, then you will have a very rapid recovery within days with very little bruising.  If you have a large amount of fat removed from several areas of the body, then it may be a week to 10 days before you return to regular activities.  Things that speed up recovery include being in good physical shape before recovery, wearing a compression garment to help with swelling and comfort, a high protein diet, adequate fluids, avoiding smoking and a good attitude.

WHAT IS RECOVERY FROM A SKIN REMOVAL PROCEDURE LIKE A TUMMY TUCK OR BODY LIFT LIKE?

Recovery after a skin removal body contouring procedure like a tummy tuck or body lift is typically about 7-14 days to light activities and 6 weeks until you are released to all activities like heavy exercise and lifting.  The skin removal part of these procedures are typically not very painful at all even though it involves an incision.  Most of the discomfort associated with these procedures is due to the tightening of the abdominal muscles.  This elective part of the procedure is used to tighten the six-pack ab muscles in order to correct laxity caused by weight gain or pregnancy and to flatten the tummy and define the waist.  If you do not have significant muscle laxity, then muscle tightening is not always necessary.  If this step is omitted, your recovery is dramatically more comfortable and quick.

DOES RECOVERY FROM COMBINED PROCEDURES TAKE LONGER?

There are many good reasons to have a combined body contouring procedure.  Combining procedures can enhance the cosmetic outcome of your procedure, make your body contouring treatments more cost-effective, reduce some risk of multiple trips to the operating room, and reduce recovery and time off from work.  When pain is experienced after surgery, the body processes pain from one area of the body at a time.  The “gate theory” of pain is thought to be a protective evolutionary mechanism.  The most painful procedure is felt and the other areas are less bothersome or not bothersome at all.  From a recovery standpoint, return to activities are fairly similar for combined procedures compared to the individual procedures.  The only distinction that is worth noting is the time it takes for swelling to resolve.  Swelling typically takes longer to resolve and for you to see your final endpoint if body contouring procedures such as liposuction and skin removal procedures are combined.  You will see an immediate positive change but the final outcome takes a bit longer.

HOW DOES POSITIONING AFTER SURGERY AFFECT RECOVERY?

Most patients can sit or lay flat on their backs after body contouring surgery.  The only procedure that has any special positioning requirements is buttock augmentation.  With this procedure, it is preferable and advised that you minimize the period of time you lay on your back.  Changing positions frequently and giving the buttocks a rest is thought to help with healing.  This can be a bit more challenging if you combine a buttock procedure with a tummy procedure or breast procedure.  While it may be a bit more inconvenient or uncomfortable, there is no evidence that it is harmful to combine these procedures.