You won’t be power walking or even going at a normal pace for a few days, or even weeks, after a tummy tuck. Remember: go slowly just to get your limbs moving, and take your time. You might want to recruit a friend or relative to lean on, in case you tire out before you get back to the comfort of your bed or chair.During your tummy tuck recovery, dressings or bandages may be applied to your incisions, and you may be wrapped in an elastic bandage or a compression garment to minimize swelling and support your abdomen as it heals following abdominoplasty surgery. Small, thin tubes may be temporarily placed under the skin to drain any excess blood or fluid that may collect.
Or bed. Or easy chair. Wherever you plan on spending most of your days following your tuck, we suggest you prepare it. Assemble your books, movies and entertainment within an arm’s distance. Fill your prescriptions and store them within grabbing distance too. Stock up on pillows and wedges. Consider the surrounding environment: eye shades and ear plugs may useful if you choose to recover in a high-traffic area of the house.
Don't be upset, since it will subside. If you are constipated (and pain medications are known for causing constipation), try a mild stool softener (such as Colace) and eat plenty of mild, high fiber foods or take a fiber supplement. Some people recommend daikon (Asian white radishes) to help with constipation and to flush out the system. But you might put off the daikon until after you are finished with your antibiotics.
Don’t drop tons of weight right before your procedure. It might be tempting to drop 10 pounds or more before your tummy tuck so you can get really svelte-looking results. This can put your body in danger, however, so don’t do it. Stick to a healthy everyday diet and regular exercise to keep everything in tip-top form.
Certainly a part of anyone’s fantasy body makeover over the age of 30 probably involves a tummy tuck. Cut out our seemingly impossible-to-eliminate belly fat and do it now! As much as we may think we’re going to be instantly skinny post-surgery, we still have to pay attention to what we’re putting in our body, before and after.
The patient should understand that the body has been affected by the operation and this is one way of it trying to get on the mend. Contrary to some people's belief in managing swelling, the patient should regularly drink water to ensure that the body is well hydrated during the recovery period after the tummy tuck operation. It is a good idea to control the sodium intake of the meals that one eats during the recovery period to control the swelling since salt retains water in the body.
Consider skipping the comedies. Comedies are therapeutic. If you had your tonsils out as a kid, you may have spent the days following the operation eating ice cream and watching something starring Bill Murray. But tummy tuck is an abdominal procedure, and you do not want to watch any gut-busting comedies, at least not in the first few days.
Standing is not very comfortable in the few first weeks after a tummy tuck; meaning that a shower may not be as relaxing as a bath. As you recuperate from surgery, you may even find that you prefer taking baths. Talk to your surgeon about when it will be acceptable to take a regular bath.
