Manhattan, New York City, NY
Expect a moderate amount of discomfort after your abdominoplasty. The amount depends greatly on how tightly the inner girdle area is made. You might walk in a slightly bent-over position for the first few days because of the unnatural tightness in your abdominal area. Dr. Bellin will give you thorough instructions as to what to do and what to avoid.
A compression garment is provided that should be worn for at two weeks to help diminish the swelling. Drainage tubes are often left in place and if so are removed within a few days.
There may be some swelling that should pass within a few days. You may also experience some degree of abdominal numbness. Rarely this can last for a few months. You may also feel a pulling sensation in your abdominal region which may continue for several weeks. The stitches from the tummy tuck procedure will be removed after a week, and deeper sutures will be removed in a few weeks.
Your scars may go through a period where they thicken a bit in the months following the surgery, but you should allow a few months for the scars to flatten out and for the color to fade. You can expect to return to work after about one to two weeks, but strenuous activity should be avoided for a month at least. Everyone’s individual healing time will vary so Dr. Bellin will be able to instruct you based on your progress.
Complications such as postoperative bleeding or infection are not common. You may have a little skin loss above your pubic hair, which results in a wider, more noticeable scar, but this is rare.
Abdominoplasty usually produces outstanding results. Another pregnancy or overeating might return you to your pre-surgical condition. However, the fat cells and excess skin that were cut out never return, so you will still be better off having had your tummy tuck. Dr. Bellin, one of the best plastic surgeons in NYC, has done many hundreds of tummy tucks and has never had to do a second one on a patient.
If you are considering getting a tummy tuck please contact us today to set up your free tummy tuck consultation.