What is the recovery from an abdominoplasty (tummy tuck)?

A significant concern for any lady considering a tummy tuck is how long the recovery is.

Abdominoplasty is a procedure that can be safely and comfortably performed as an outpatient procedure, meaning that you can have the surgery and leave the hospital the same day. Performing an outpatient abdominoplasty is a change in my practice since I started using pain pumps. The pain pumps have made the recovery significantly more comfortable.

I usually advise ladies to take two weeks off of work. This advice is based on estimation of the standard desk job. A small percentage of ladies could get back quicker than that but two weeks is generally a very safe number. During this recovery I expect ladies to be able to move around at home fairly easily. By the end of two weeks their activity level usually can afford them to get back to work, depending on how rigorous the job is. The pain pumps usually are removed at day three. Drains left in at surgery will come out usually around day four or five.

As far as cosmetic recovery, a patient could have a significant amount of swelling that takes several weeks to months to completely resolve. A scar will actually take one year to fully mature though the progress is barely noticeable in the last several months. It is normal for ladies to feel a little swollen particularly at the end of the day even for a few months.

**Actual patient**

For more Before/After photos of abdominoplasty click here.