Replacing the binder and knowing what to do with the drain tube, etc can be cumbersome. For my patients I tell them that you are allowed to take a shower at any time but I recommend holding off for a couple of days until the first follow up. When to take a shower after a tummy tuck will depend on the surgeon. Keeping these on for a few days after the surgery may not be the most comfortable thing in the world but it will keep some of the swelling out of the legs and will continue to reduce the chance of blood clots.
Most surgeons will have the patient wear thigh high compression stockings during a tummy tuck to reduce the chance of blood clots. Small sips of water and crackers in the first few hours may help curb nausea early. Regardless, our patients are always prescribed anti-nausea medications just in case. This success is due to a combination of good anesthesia and good surgical technique that can reduce narcotic use. Most of our patients manage not to have any nausea after surgery. #6: Managing nausea:Įach tummy tuck patient handles surgery and anesthesia differently. Lowering and tightening the abdominal binder is best done while in the recliner or in bed. Marking where the binder is in terms of tightness is the first recommendation since undoing it to pull it down will require knowing how tight it should be redone. This results in the abdominal binder wanting to shift up while sitting. Proper placement and management of the abdominal binder can be challenging since a low tummy tuck incision will result in an abdominal binder that sits partly over the top part of the thighs. The abdominal binder is an integral part of the tummy tuck recovery process. Gauze squares are helpful to pad around the drain and sometimes pad between the binder and the pelvic “hip” bones. In my practice, I use a “no maintenance” dressing at the completion of the tummy tuck surgery, however, it always helps to have either 4×4 gauze or maxi pads around. In these cases, Spanks or Squeem with a hole cut out on the side for the drain can be very helpful. This is in part because I place my incision very low. For very curvy women, the abdominal binder may consistently want to ride up no matter how much its pulled down. #9: Spanks:Ĭompression shorts such a Spanks or Squeem can be worn early after a tummy tuck but a hole needs to be made on the side to let the drain come through. Although not 100% necessary, it may help take some of the pressure of the back initially. A walker or a cane may be helpful for some. Doing so, however, may result in some temporary back strain. Tightening of the abdominal muscles also creates some discomfort when completely upright therefore staying slightly bent at the waist is more comfortable during the first week and takes pressure of the incision.
#10: Walker/cane:Ī tummy tuck naturally puts tension on the horizontal closure. We are always looking for ideas to provide our patients a better tummy tuck experience. I encourage anyone who reads this list and has advice of their own to comment below. How do I walk when I am supposed to be bent over?īelow is my list of ten best tummy tuck recovery tips that I have learned from my own patients that have been through the process and have come up with great solutions to common hurdles.Many of my own Scottsdale patients wonder: Above all else, however, there is concern of the unknown. There is both a financial investment as well as a time investment in the recovery process. Undergoing a tummy tuck can be a daunting decision to make.
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