Long-term effects Some people experience numbness or a pulling sensation for weeks or months after a tummy tuck, but this is typically normal and often fades with time. It can take up to three months for the swelling and bruising to go down completely, and it may take longer than that for your scar to fade.
This study found that 8.2% reported pain within the past week between 3 months and 9 years after abdominoplasty, most often located under the umbilicus in the same location as the incision line, suggesting direct nerve injury in this area as the primary cause.
As we mentioned, each person's tummy tuck recovery time varies, but most patients are ready to return to normal activities within 3-6 months after their initial procedure.
How long do you walk hunched over after a tummy tuck? You will need to walk hunched over or bent at the waist for about a week. This helps prevent additional pressure on your incision lines.
Tummy tuck surgery results will vary depending on a person's age. For example, a younger patient can expect to see very smooth abdominal skin after abdominoplasty. However, an older patient's skin is typically less elastic than that of a younger person and won't automatically “snap back” to fit the body's new contours.
Many patients wonder if you can be too old for a tummy tuck, such as 50 or more. There's no age limit for having this procedure; it's possible to remove excess skin and fat from the abdomen in older patients.
Bloating, gas pains, and abdominal distention are common features of tummy tuck recovery. Taking pain medication is part of the reason this is seen as it can effect intestinal motility or movement.
Because a tummy tuck is a more extensive surgery, patients need around 10 to 14 days to recover. The results are long-lasting, and the removed fat cells won't grow back—but remaining fat cells may expand and the skin may re-stretch if you gain a large amount of weight.
A common sign of an undesirable tummy tuck is poor repositioning of the belly button. If you see that your navel is too high or too low, it might be that it's been misshapen, while pulling and tightening of the skin has distorted the original shape and position.
During body contouring procedures like a tummy tuck, fat cells are eliminated from the body and cannot return. Because of this, patients may gain weight in other places like the buttocks, legs, arms, and breasts.
If you have good scars, a normal-looking belly button and natural abdominal contours, hardly anyone will be able to tell you have had tummy tuck. They will simply admire your flat, firm abdomen!
Swelling is a normal part of tummy tuck recovery, and while most of it resolves within the first 2 months, some residual swelling can last for 6 months to a year.
Tummy tuck scars after 5 years will be nearly unnoticeable. Although it will have taken several years for the scars to lighten entirely (in most patients), by this point, they will be at their lightest. Those with darker skin, however, will generally have darker scars.
While there are no standard weight requirements for a tummy tuck, there are some guidelines most cosmetic surgeons follow. If your BMI is not over 35 and you are within about 30% of your ideal weight and in overall good health, you should be a viable candidate for plus-size tummy tuck surgery.
Troy Pittman, a board-certified Washington D.C.-based plastic surgeon, patients who have obesity, a lot of visceral fat (located near vital organs), underlying medical conditions or blood-clotting disorders should refrain from having tummy tucks.
Expect to be at a stable weight before your tummy tuck
Most surgeons will recommend patients be between 10-15 pounds from their goal weight. This is important as gaining or losing additional weight can undo the contoured shape achieved through your surgery.
Risks of Tummy Tuck Surgery
The most common include bleeding, blood clots, infection, or complications from general anesthesia. However, a tummy tuck is considered a very safe procedure.
The average of a standard tummy tuck patient is usually somewhere in their 30s or 40s. This is when most people have had children and may also see age related changes in the look of their abdomen. However, in some cases, patients younger or older may undergo a tummy tuck.
Losing 5-10kg after a tummy tuck will not drastically affect your results. In fact, it may help the skin shrink comfortably around the abdominal area and enhance your new contours. However, losing more than this may result in loose and excess skin again after the surgery.
Understanding abdominal muscle separation, aka diastasis recti. You might think of a tummy tuck as being a purely aesthetic procedure, but many tummy tuck patients have a condition called diastasis recti, which is a separation between the two sides of the primary abdominal muscle, rectus abdominis.
Additionally, the skin, muscles, and fat of the abdomen were all repaired or altered during the procedure. These structures need time to heal and settle into their new positions. This causes inflammation, swelling, and other temporary side effects that can contribute to the look of the stomach.
The surgery involves folding over the stretched tissue of the linea alba and suturing the two sides of the rectus abdominis muscle together. Though you can't see it from the outside of the body, this involves suturing up and down the whole length of the abdomen.