What will happen after my tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) surgery ?

Your recovery will be carefully monitored in a recovery unit. Once the medical staff are satisfied with your recovery then they will arrange for you to be taken back to your room.

Back in your room a nurse will check your dressings and your condition in general. You may be given an injection of a blood thinning agent to stop the build up of any blood clots. These can form as a result of long periods of inactivity.

You can expect your abdomen to be sore and swollen for the first few days but you will be given pain medication to deal with this. You will also be given an ample supply of these when you go home.

You may also be given pillows to put behind your knees when you are lying in bed. This is to help reduce any strain on your abdominal muscles.

The support girdle will have to be worn for at least six weeks.

You will find it difficult to stand up straight but you will be encouraged to get up and start walking around as soon as you are physically able to do so. This is to prevent the risk of blood clots and deep vein thrombosis.

Your stitches will be the dissolvable type so you do not need to have these removed although you will need to attend the clinic or hospital for follow up visits.

After a couple of days you will be able to go home. Your surgeon will check that you are well enough to do so and will advise you on showering and taking care of your dressings. He/she will also advise you on what to do when you get home which means taking things easy for the first few days. Do not overtax yourself or put any strain on your surgical wounds.

He or she will also give you the date of your first aftercare visit.

Once this is done, you will be discharged from hospital.

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