The recovery from an abdominoplasty or tummy tuck is said to be long and arduous but it does not have to be in Seattle, WA. It can be as short as 24 hours!
Many patients are up and out for a walk or out shopping or even out for dinner the next night. This is because of three things:
- The long acting local anesthetic Exparel is used during surgery to reduce post-operative pain. This removes the need for a cumbersome pain pump. Pain pumps work well but they are hard to handle and impede recovery. This reduces your need for narcotic pain medications is minimal and the transition to anti-inflammatories can be made easily and quickly to help speed recovery by eliminating nausea and constipation. The anti-inflammatories have also been shown to be as effective with pain as long as you are moving around.
- The NO DRAIN Tummy Tuck technique is used, eliminating the messy and painful drains that have been used for a long time in surgery and the one thing that most abdominoplasty patients abhor.
- Motion or movement and exercise starting right after surgery, the same post-injury therapies that are allowing athletes and orthopedic surgery patients to recover so fast are used to help you recover faster.
At about 24 hours after your abdominoplasty you should be back to the things you normally do on a daily basis like getting up and preparing a meal, showering, dressing, grooming, work at a computer desk and light homemaking. You will be allowed to resume simple exercises (excluding lifting heavier objects) at a week. If your muscles are repaired you cannot do heavy lifting for 6 weeks.
Most tummy tuck patients can be back to their job between 3 and 7 day.
For more information go to NO Drain tummy tuck
You can also call or text us at (425) 366-8222
