Tips and Tricks to Tummy Tucks

Every day people go in for their first tummy tuck not knowing what to expect. Because many people are under prepared for the post-operative limitations that a tummy tuck can place on the body, they experience unnecessary amounts of discomfort. But a little preparation can go a long way to making your tummy tuck a more enjoyable experience and that’s why we put together this list of tips and tricks to get ready for your tummy tuck procedure and recovery.

Preoperative Preparation

Most surgical procedures place a large amount of stress on your body. This stress is can be worsened if your body isn’t taken care of before and after the procedure leading to a longer recovery time. Make a point of taking care of your body leading up to your tummy tuck procedure. By following some of these tips you can make your tummy tuck recovery a much easier process.

Get your body in peak physical condition

While you don’t have to be the world’s fittest person to get a tummy tuck, preparing your body by eating healthy and exercising will help you to maintain your weight and build strength that you’ll need during your recovery. Receiving all the proper nutrients that your body needs will give you more energy and give your body the fuel it needs to heal properly and quickly.

Prepare for post-operation

After your operation you will need to take at least two weeks off from activities of daily living. This means that you will need to take off from work and organize a group of family and friends to help you make it through your recovery and if you have children then you should start thinking about arranging childcare. Also, make sure to prepare your home prior to your procedure. Make sure that you have plenty of loose clothes that are easy to put on and take off. Set up your “recovery station” by making sure your couch and bed have plenty of pillows and entertainment options that are easily accessible. Take this time to sit back, relax, and let your body heal.

Quit smoking!

If you’re a smoker then you’ve probably heard this a thousand times from your physicians but the cessation of prior to your procedure can have many benefits. Smoking will increase your recovery period and the risk of complications with your procedure. This is why we recommend that you stop smoking three months prior to your procedure. Once you are able to experience the results of your tummy tuck you’ll be happy you did it.

Ask your doctor about your current medications

Make sure that you have a list of current medications that you are on. During your preoperative consultation, your physician will go over these with you and give you instructions on which medications you should stop taking prior to your surgery.

Insider Tips and Tricks

You’ve prepared as best you can for your first tummy tuck but you still don’t know if any “curve balls” are going to be thrown at you during recovery. Don’t worry, we asked patients and doctors who have seen and experienced the recovery process to come up with these tricks to the tummy tuck.

Stock up before your surgery

Make sure to get all the essentials before your surgery date. Filling your prescriptions, meal prepping, buying extra gauze, wraps, and other essentials will save you trips to the store and a lot of frustration. It’s best that you don’t drive following your surgery anyway so get it out of the way ahead of time.

Save your stretchy pants

You might want to hold onto your old clothes and not throw them out just yet. A tummy tuck will have you fitting into tighter clothes but you’ll have to wait a few weeks to trade in the larger sizes for smaller ones. After your procedure your body is going to experience some swelling around your belly, which is totally normal. So just be patient and wait a few weeks before switching out your sweatpants for a cocktail dress.

Try not to laugh

While remaining in high spirits and having a good sense of humor are important for psychological health and can also have a big impact on physical health, you won’t want to be having any big belly laughs after this procedure. Your abdomen will be pretty sore for a while after your surgery so laughing, coughing, yelling, or other such activities can cause a lot of discomfort post tummy tuck. So maybe take your favorite comedy off your recovery movie list and give your belly a break.

Enlist help

Walking can be good to keep blood flowing to your muscles and to reduce the chance of blood clots but you probably shouldn’t do much more. Reaching up to grab things and bending over are out of the question for the first week or two of recovery. To prevent the need to do activities involving these movements and potentially harming your results, ask friends and family to help take care of daily activities for a couple of weeks. If you are having trouble finding people to help or are uncomfortable asking friends to make such a big commitment, then try hiring a helper to assist you during this time.

Tummy Tucks for Men

Our greatest and final tip for tummy tucks is that this procedure is not only for women. Tummy tucks are a very common procedure among men. Because of genetic differences between sexes men have a higher likelihood of putting on weight around their stomachs. When men put on weight and then lose it they are left with extra skin around their abdomen and turn to tummy tucks to fix it.

Tummy Tucks in Naples, Florida

With summer around the bend, there’s no better way to get your body into shape than with a tummy tuck at Gardner Plastic Surgery. Give your body the TLC it deserves with our advanced cosmetic technology treatments at Gardner Plastic Surgery located in Naples, Florida! Discover a new you, come and see what makes us one of the finest plastic surgery centers in Naples, FL. To learn more, please schedule a consultation with us today.