Even in most normal weight and extremely fit women, the abdomen may not be completely flat following abdominoplasty. It is realistic for patients to expect improvement in the flatness of the stomach, but should not immediately assume that their abdomen will be entirely flat.
Sometimes people do not have a totally flat abdomen after tummy tuck even though the excess skin and fat is removed due to the fact that the intra-abdominal contents still remain intact and are still behind the tightened abdominal muscles.
Generally, patients should see their flat tummy emerge within three to six months, though it may take as long as a year. Depending on your starting anatomy, a truly flat stomach may not be possible.
Swelling after a Tummy Tuck Is Normal
Swelling in the abdominal area is perfectly normal and expected after a tummy tuck. In this area of the body, the blood vessels and lymphatic vessels work as a drainage system for fluids.
Swelling is a normal part of tummy tuck recovery, and while most of it resolves within the first 2 months, some residual swelling can last for 6 months to a year.
Abdominoplasty, or tummy tuck, surgically rejuvenates the lower body by removing excess fat and skin while repairing stretched or torn stomach muscles. Tummy tuck recovery is approximately three months long. While post-op swelling may last several weeks, a tummy tuck generally takes six weeks to heal and look normal.
A properly performed tummy tuck can reduce your waist size and help you feel confident about your curves again. Some patients may lose many inches off their waist, while others will see more subtle results. It all depends on how much tissue can be removed safely.
Unfortunately, it is possible to gain weight after abdominoplasty. Note, the procedure permanently removes fat cells from the abdomen and your body cannot replace them. However, not all fat cells are removed.
Weight Training to Keep Toned
In the weeks following your tummy tuck procedure, you will be able to see a visible difference in your abdominal area. One of the best parts about this surgery is feeling fit and toned once again.
Thinned out muscles and their lining causes this muffin top deformity in some patients. This occurs following muscle tightening if the increased tension makes the muscle and lining stretch out again. The medical terminology for thinned out muscles is muscle attenuation.
How long do you walk hunched over after a tummy tuck? You will need to walk hunched over or bent at the waist for about a week. This helps prevent additional pressure on your incision lines.
A common sign of an undesirable tummy tuck is poor repositioning of the belly button. If you see that your navel is too high or too low, it might be that it's been misshapen, while pulling and tightening of the skin has distorted the original shape and position.
Muscle tightness - Muscles plication (or tightening) is usually a part of abdominoplasty. Either failure of the sutures or some laxity can cause a bulge. If the change in your contour was sudden or if you felt a pop - think about the plication having ruptured.
Whilst the removal of this can result in some loss of body mass, a tummy tuck is not a weight loss solution. In fact, removing excess skin can make it easier for patients to shed pounds and contour their bodies post-surgery.
Because a tummy tuck is a more extensive surgery, patients need around 10 to 14 days to recover. The results are long-lasting, and the removed fat cells won't grow back—but remaining fat cells may expand and the skin may re-stretch if you gain a large amount of weight.
Having said this, most women after a tummy tuck will go down a size or two. Some will go down even more! However, some patients will not have a change of size, and rarely, some will actually wear a larger size. Most women will go down a size or two after an abdominoplasty and be very happy with their new appearance.
Following a Tummy tuck surgery for your abdomen, you will be advised to wear compression garments for 6-8 weeks after the surgery. It should be worn throughout the day and should be removed only while you bathe.
A tummy tuck surgery not only has a big effect on the look of the abdomen, but it can also affect the appearance of other bodily structures. It is not uncommon for patients to report that people believed their breasts looked bigger.
The first three to five days are the most difficult period of tummy tuck recovery. You will spend much of this time reclining – often even sleeping in a recliner. During this first week when the pain is most severe, Dr. Slack will prescribe a combination of narcotics and muscle relaxers.
Bright red skin that is hot to the touch. Excessive bleeding or fluid seeping through the incisions. A severely misshapen region anywhere on your abdomen or bruising that is localized to one specific point of the abdomen. Shortness of breath, or calf pain.
While a tummy tuck incision is similar to a C-section, the intra abdominal component of the operation is not there. This essentially means that a tummy tuck is less invasive procedure compared to the cesarean section.
A compression garment should only exert gentle, supportive pressure, so it should lay flat and smooth on the skin. As a general rule, the correct tightness for your compression garment leaves space to slide a hand under without difficulty.
The reason why you can't sleep on your side after a tummy tuck is that it creates too much tension in the surgical area and can be painful. Sleeping on your side after 3 or 5 weeks after the tummy tuck is even better. In addition to sleeping in the right position, it is also important to ensure a comfortable recovery.