What To Expect From Abdominoplasty: Tummy Tuck Risks, Complications, Recovery Minneapolis St. Paul

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Abdominoplasty Recovery

Someone will need to drive you home when you are discharged and be around the house to help you for a few days. Pain from a full tummy-tuck can be about eight on a scale of one to 10, with 10 being a kidney stone and nine the delivery of a baby. Usually the abdomen is bruised for about three weeks and feels kind of numb and funny for several months, and in some cases to a slight degree for the rest of the patient´s life. This is not disabling, but the area doesn´t feel "quite right" when touched.

You will be discharged several hours after the procedure is done. You will have one or two drains. A drain is a small plastic tube connected to a light bulb shaped reservoir. The compressible reservoir creates gentle suction to remove excess fluid from the surgical area. The recovery room nurse will teach you how to care for the drain prior to your discharge from the surgery center. You´ll receive pain pills and, possibly, a prophylactic antibiotic. I prefer to have my complete tummy tuck patients go home with bladder catheters, so they don´t have to get out of bed during the night to urinate. My patients wear elastic stockings to help prevent blood clots in the legs.

Road to Recovery

After an abdominoplasty you will need to avoid heavy lifting or vigorous exercise for six to eight weeks, so there is definitely a prolonged recovery period. Don´t try to lift anything heavier than about 10 pounds (the equivalent of a full grocery bag) during this time. Carefully lifting your children should be all right as long as you hold them close to yourself. Think of the operation as a hernia repair from "stem to stern," and treat yourself gently.

I ask patients to walk hunched over for about a week to keep tension off the incision line. You can return to work in a week or two, if your job doesn´t involve heavy lifting. If you have a physically demanding job, you may need to return on light duty for a month. It may take a month or two before you feel like your old self. Studies show people who are in the best shape possible before surgery have the fastest recovery.

The incision will be pink for several months and then fade over the subsequent year. If your scar rises, becomes tender, or stays reddened, you may need additional treatment such as a cortisone injection. Mild depression is normal after surgery. It is a result of biochemical changes caused by the anesthesia and surgery, and should go away fairly quickly.

Risks and Complications

The problems I´ve had with tummy-tuck surgery tend to be the same as those for all cosmetic surgical procedures. Irregularity or asymmetry may persist, and touch-up surgery may be required. A number of patients develop fluid collections after their drains are removed. Sometimes this requires draining, which is done with a needle in the clinic. Rare instances of permanent fluid build-up have been reported. Treatment involves another operation to remove the tissue lining that is continuing to form abnormal fluid. Bad scarring is another possible complication. Infection is rare and usually is treated with antibiotics or surgical drainage. Excessive bleeding is unusual, and the drainage tubes are there to handle this. Geometrical problems like elevation of the pubic hairline or lack of central placement of the belly-button are potential risks. I curve the incision over the pubis and make precise preoperative measurements to prevent this from occurring.

Blood clots can be avoided by being active after your procedure. I use compressive stockings or mechanical devices on the operating table to squeeze the patient´s calves. Walking as soon as possible is helpful to maintain muscle strength and prevent blood clots. Surgeons may instruct patients to do ankle and foot exercises to improve blood circulation.

Smoking can cause serious complications, and smokers can suffer skin loss.

See the section on facelifts for more details.

When All Is Said and Done

Abdominoplasty won´t give you the perfect washboard abdomen you had as a teenager, but it will improve your appearance to a great degree. Results are long lasting, especially if you stay on a healthy diet and exercise program. There will be permanent scars.

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