Well, it goes without saying that all of us want to have the perfect look. This might prompt you to look for a way of dealing with your sagging skin that might have changed from pregnancy or in some cases bariatric surgery. The tummy tuck has been used as an appropriate surgical procedure to deal with sagging skin around the stomach. As much as this will help you to dress appropriately and more comfortably, you may still be worried of what comes with settling on such a surgical procedure.
The recovery period is what worries people the most. Uncertainties of how long it will take seem to bother many. We are all different, but there are a few general things that you might expect after this surgical procedure. For starters, this is usually an elective surgical procedure that is normally done in a few hours, and you will need to spend at least a night at the hospital for you to be monitored during your initial recovery period.
You need to be prepared to miss either school or work for about 2 weeks after the procedure. As individuals vary in nature, some might need more time to recover before the resumption of normal activities. For the first week, you can expect to experience some pain and swelling at the incision site. You will be sent home on antibiotics as well as pain medication to for you to be a bit comfortable. The initial couple of days will need you to be restricted in your bed and try to undertake the least amount of physical activities, just some moderate walking for you. The latter will help you to maintain your blood flow to avoid the occurrence of clots in your blood stream due to stasis, slowing of blood flow.
A drain is usually placed at the incision site to avoid the buildup of fluid behind the incision site. This is drain is usually removed by your surgeon a few days after the procedure, normally on day 5 after the procedure. The stitches also usually come out after the first week of your recovery period. After your bandages are removed and in the event that you are able to undertake more natural movements, you will have to wear an undergarment that is meant to compress the area operated on besides relieving the swelling at the incision site. You might be required to have this on for a couple of weeks following your surgery.
Full recovery can only be expected after a couple of months for the wound to heal completely. During this time you are likely to experience some numbness around the incision site together with fatigue and discomfort. You might need one year to completely recover and resume the activities you could handle before the tummy tuck, but this varies individually.
In case you are interested in having a tummy tuck, it is recommended that you enquire about referrals from your friends or relatives. You will be amazed with the number of people who have undergone the procedure with excellent results. It is also prudent to verify the surgeon’s credentials for a more precise and less dramatic tummy tuck. See to it that the one you are approaching has been board certified with regards to plastic surgery with the required license to practice in your location. It is best for you to pick a surgeon with enough experience in the field but this should not limit your choice.
Dr. Gregory H. Croll is the owner of his own practice, and the leading doctor for tummy tucks in Columbia, MO.