Compression garments also act as a protective barrier to our incised abdomen in procedures like a tummy tuck or liposuction and protect them from infection. It also facilitates better circulation and helps transfer antimicrobials to the site of possible infection.
If you do not use a girdle after a tummy tuck or abdominoplasty, the inflammation process can increase, there may be deformity, fluid accumulation in unwanted areas, and scarring with late fibrosis.
By applying compression to the surgical site, the binder may help reduce swelling of the skin flaps and maintain contour improvements during early healing. It may also reduce the risk of seroma formation, which refers to a collection of fluid below the skin flaps.
When used correctly, lipo foam reduces bruising and makes healing quicker and more comfortable. Typically, you wear Lipo Foam for 2-14 days post liposuction surgery. But always consult directly with your physician for your recommended use.
You may cover it with a gauze bandage if it weeps or rubs against clothing. Change the bandage every day if your doctor told you to do so. You may have one or two drain tubes in place to prevent fluid from building up under the skin of your belly. Your doctor will tell you how to take care of it.
Six weeks after a tummy tuck
It takes six weeks for the body to heal from cosmetic surgery. Swelling may last several weeks, but most patients are fully recovered in three months or less. At this point, it's safe to begin exercising and resuming normal activities.
If you have a “mini tummy tuck” with a smaller incision, you'll likely need between one and three weeks of elevated sleeping. On the other hand, full-tummy tuck patients require about four weeks, with six weeks of limiting any strenuous exercise or lifting.
You'll need to refrain from sleeping on your stomach for the first three to four weeks. With years of training and experience performing tummy tucks, our surgeons have the expertise required to provide you with the beautiful results you want.
Depending on the nature and extent of your procedure, you may need to continue sleeping on your back at a bent angle for about 3 – 6 weeks or longer. In some cases, patients who undergo a mini tummy tuck or less extensive procedure may be able to return to stomach-sleeping earlier.
Having said this, most women after a tummy tuck will go down a size or two. Some will go down even more! However, some patients will not have a change of size, and rarely, some will actually wear a larger size. Most women will go down a size or two after an abdominoplasty and be very happy with their new appearance.
It should be snug but not too tight. Adjust it as needed. Make sure it is even and that there are no wrinkles. Make sure that you can breathe normally and go the bathroom.
A compression garment should only exert gentle, supportive pressure, so it should lay flat and smooth on the skin. As a general rule, the correct tightness for your compression garment leaves space to slide a hand under without difficulty.
Tissue damage.
During a tummy tuck, fatty tissue deep within your skin in the abdominal area might get damaged or die. Smoking increases the risk of tissue damage. Depending on the size of the area, tissue might heal on its own or require a surgical touch-up procedure.
A belly button shaper is not required after a tummy tuck procedure as the area can not close assuming no healing issues develop.
Even in most normal weight and extremely fit women, the abdomen may not be completely flat following abdominoplasty. It is realistic for patients to expect improvement in the flatness of the stomach, but should not immediately assume that their abdomen will be entirely flat.
In general, you need to keep a straight abdomen with slight bending while recovering after your tummy tuck. You should avoid bending over too much (e.g. to pick up your child) for the first 4-6 weeks after your abdominoplasty.
We suggest scar massage many times throughout the day for 5-10 minutes each session. It is important to strictly follow your post-operative tummy tuck instructions. We encourage you to walk around immediately in the post- operative period.
In the first week after tummy tuck surgery, Dr. Patronella recommends patients take short walks of 10 minutes, gradually increasing this to one mile, twice daily by days 10 to 14 days after the procedure.
In a C-section, an incision is made transecting the abdominal muscles. While a tummy tuck incision is similar to a C-section, the intra abdominal component of the operation is not there. This essentially means that a tummy tuck is less invasive procedure compared to the cesarean section.
It takes about 48 hours for an incision to close completely, so it is recommended that you wait at least 48 hours before showering. Showering too soon after surgery can cause your incision to re-open, inhibit the healing process, cause complications like infection, or worsen your surgical scars.
Answer: Activity after a Tummy Tuck
This is common after surgery that goes well and has very little pain. Keeping patients from overdoing it can be a challenge. If you do too much too early you put yourself at risk for seromas, hematomas, or incision separation. Be careful and follow the instructions of your surgeon.
After a tummy tuck, getting low enough to sit down on the toilet can be difficult and uncomfortable. A toilet seat booster may just be your new best friend. This device can be purchased online and delivered to your home for your convenience.
Your doctor should give instructions on how to care for your belly button after a tummy tuck. This may include cleaning the area with warm water or a saltwater solution. It's normal for the area to look swollen and even a bit crusty after surgery, and it may take as long as 6 months for the belly button to heal.