Abdominoplasty, known colloquially as a tummy tuck, is one of the most popular cosmetic procedures in the world. We proudly offer this safe procedure at Aesthetic Surgical Arts in Overland Park, KS near Kansas City because it is so effective for the treatment of both cosmetic and medical concerns. Today, we’re taking a closer look at what you can expect after your procedure, including how long the recovery is and how to recover faster.
How Long Is Recovery After a Tummy Tuck?
Individual experiences vary, but most clients recover from their tummy tuck in the Kansas City area fully after no more than three months. However, you don’t need to worry about taking several months off from work.
Most of the body’s healing is completed in just six weeks, and it is not uncommon for people to return to work just a week or two after surgery. How long you will need to take off from work depends on several factors, including your job duties and the scope of your procedure.
What Can I Do to Recover Faster?
One of the best things you can do to recover as quickly as possible is to sleep whenever you feel you need to. It is ideal to nap when you feel extremely groggy instead of fighting the urge to doze off because your body is trying to tell you that it needs extra rest. Sometimes, some adults only need six hours of consecutive sleep to function sufficiently. However, it is extremely important that you do your best to get nine hours of consecutive sleep nightly during your recovery.
The reason it is extremely important that you take steps to sleep deeply all night is that it takes your body a while to enter the rapid eye movement (REM) stage of the sleep cycle. It is during the REM stage of the sleep cycle that most of your body’s healing occurs. In other words, the longer you spend in REM sleep, the sooner your skin will heal the incision sites.
How Can I Sleep Better?
There are a number of reasons people fail to get adequate sleep. One reason people don’t get restful sleep is the temperature of their bedroom. The optimal ambient temperature for sleeping is around 67 degrees, but this varies a bit by the individual. If you feel like you’re not getting enough restful sleep, the air in your bedroom may be too hot.
Excessive blue light exposure can also affect your body’s ability to enter the REM sleep stage quickly and remain there for quite a while. Do your best to avoid exposing yourself to blue light (from computer monitors, TV screens, and other sources) for two to three hours before bed. You also should avoid engaging in vigorous physical activity within an hour of when you want to fall asleep. You may also sleep better if you avoid certain chemicals shortly before bed, like:
- Nicotine
- Caffeine
- Alcohol
What Else Can I Do to Recover Faster?
Making sure you stay hydrated after surgery will also help you recover faster. Furthermore, you can speed up your recovery process by eating nutritiously and staying hydrated following your procedure.
How Soon After Surgery Can I Drive?
It is safe to drive no fewer than 24 hours after the last time you took a prescription painkiller that excludes you from operating heavy machinery. It is a good idea to stock your home with nutritious foods that are easy to prepare before your abdominoplasty. You should also consider filling your prescriptions prior to your procedure and making sure your fridge is stocked with water bottles.
What Should I Eat After My Procedure?
It is a good idea to eat nutritious foods after your abdominoplasty. Make sure you get your recommended daily allowance of vitamin C through produce rather than a dietary supplement. Dietary supplements are not always bioavailable and multivitamins contain an excessive amount of vitamin E. it is very important that you don’t take anything that can cause blood thinning, including NSAIDs and vitamin E supplements. Some of the greatest foods to eat for vitamin C are tropical fruits and broccoli.
In addition to making sure you are getting plenty of vitamin C, it is extremely important that you make sure you get plenty of protein. Your skin doesn’t just need plenty of time in REM sleep to heal the incision sites. It also needs lots of vitamin C, protein, and water to grow healing collagen and fuel the collagen. Great sources of protein include broccoli, kale, beans, peas, lentils, poultry, and seafood.
How Much Should I Drink After Surgery?
You should drink enough after your procedure that your urine is consistently pale. You can generally expect this to be at least half of a gallon. However, if you eat lots of fruits, vegetables, and broth-based soups, you may need to drink 64 ounces of hydrating fluids. Examples of hydrating fluids include mineral water, carbonated water, unsweetened tea, and unsweetened coffee. Juices will hydrate you but are often highly processed and loaded with added sugar.
How Much Should I Exercise After My Procedure?
It is extremely important that you avoid vigorous exercise for the first six to eight weeks after your procedure. Similarly, it is important that you do not lift anything weighing more than 10 pounds for the first couple of weeks post-op. However, getting moderate physical activity is perfectly fine.
It is highly advisable to walk as much as you can during the first week or two of your procedure. The reason you should get up and walk regularly is that being sedentary does not support your cardiovascular system. Your cardiovascular system facilitates a faster recovery, though. You can also speed up your recovery with such exercises as yoga and gentle spinning.
Am I a Good Abdominopalsty Candidate?
To find out definitively whether abdominoplasty is a good fit for you, it is essential that you attend an initial evaluation with an aesthetic surgeon. One reason this initial evaluation is so important is that it gives us the opportunity to verify that this procedure will be safe for you. It also provides us with the opportunity to advise you on all of the preparation and post-op guidelines you will need to follow.
In addition to making sure a tummy tuck will be safe for you, we need to verify that it is the most effective way for you to achieve your cosmetic or medical goals.
What Results Can I Expect?
What results you can expect depends on the scope of the procedure and the goals you are trying to achieve. If you only get a mini tuck (partial abdominoplasty), you can only expect the bottom portion of your abdomen to be improved. Depending on what you are trying to achieve, this may include excising excess skin and tightening loose skin.
On the other hand, you can expect both your upper and lower abdomen to be improved if you opt for a full tuck. Like a mini tuck, a full tuck can be used to remove excess skin and tighten loose skin. In addition, if you opt for a full tuck, there are several other potential benefits. For example, your navel can be repositioned, your abdominal walls can be tightened, ventral hernias can be repaired, and stress urinary incontinence can be treated.
How Much Fat Can I Lose From Abdominoplasty?
Abdominoplasty is not a fat removal procedure, so you should not expect to lose a lot of fat during your surgery. However, the excision of a small amount of abdominal fat is possible.
How Much Fat Removal Can Result From Liposuction?
Since liposuction is a fat removal procedure, you can generally expect to lose a significant amount of localized fat. This fat removal procedure’s efficacy depends on several factors, including your body mass and the amount of excess subcutaneous fat in the targeted area. Your body mass affects how much fat you can expect to be removed in one procedure safely. If you are overweight, up to 11 pounds may be removed safely.
Generally, you can expect around a quarter of your subcutaneous abdominal fat cells to be removed with a single session of liposuction. In other words, roughly three pounds of abdominal fat can be removed if you have 12 pounds of abdominal fat. It is important to remember when considering liposuction that it is a fat removal procedure, not a weight loss procedure. Even though it may not result in a lot of weight loss, it will significantly improve your contours.
Who Is a Poor Candidate for a Tummy Tuck in Kansas City?
You will be considered a poor fit for this procedure if you are not healthy enough for surgery. If we determine a general anesthetic is the best fit for you, your heart and lungs must be very healthy.
Regardless of whether general anesthesia or a local anesthetic combined with a sedative is deemed right for you, there are a number of preparation steps you will need to follow. Also, regardless of the anesthetic used, it is imperative that your blood can clot normally, your blood pressure is normal, and you are not ill.
What Preparation Steps Will I Need to Take Prior to Surgery?
The preparation steps you will need to take prior to surgery will vary depending on the type of anesthetic used to keep you comfortable and calm. If you will receive a general anesthetic, you will need to fast for eight hours pre-op and dry fast for two hours pre-op. Regardless of the type of anesthetic you receive, you will also need to avoid things that will elevate your blood pressure or affect your blood’s ability to clot normally.
Another very important preparation step you will need to take is to arrange for a ride to and from your tuck. If possible, arrange for someone to stay with you for at least 24 hours post-op to help you care for yourself and your home. For example, you may need help feeding and hydrating your pets, remembering to take your antibiotics, and taking care of your kids early in the morning.
Schedule Your Initial Consultation Today
You can generally expect a full recovery following abdominoplasty to take no more than three months to complete. Depending on the scope of your procedure and your job duties, you may be able to return to work just a week or two after surgery. To find out if you are a good fit for this procedure, contact us today at Aesthetic Surgical Arts/Mia Bella Donna Medspa in Overland Park, KS near Kansas City to schedule your initial consultation.
