Aftercare for tummy tuck surgery is critical to promoting proper healing and achieving the desired outcomes. Patients should strictly adhere to their surgeon’s instructions, keep the incision area clean and protected, wear a compression garment if recommended, avoid strenuous activities, take prescribed medications, eat a healthy diet, and attend follow-up visits.
Tummy Tuck In Dubai
Tummy Tuck in Dubai requires careful aftercare to ensure proper healing and long-term results. Patients should comply with their surgeon’s instructions, wear the recommended compression garment, keep incisions clean, avoid strenuous activities, take prescribed medications, and attend follow-up appointments. Gentle walking may help with circulation during recovery.
Your Guide To Tummy Tuck Aftercare
This guide is for patients who have had their tummy tuck surgery and need post operative advice and care during their first 30 days of recovery.
General Anaesthesia
You were given general anaesthesia as part of your surgery. It is not unusual for the anaesthesia to cause nausea/sickness whilst in the clinic, but it is unlikely that the feeling of nausea is still present when you leave our clinic. The anaesthetic will still be in your bloodstream when you leave the hospital and will make you feel a little tired and sleepy.
One important point to note is that the anaesthesia is slowly being dispelled from your body, through your urine etc. You might feel jittery or shaky for about 35 minutes while your body readjusts itself.
The sensation is very similar to having too much caffeine and is more evident in smaller-framed and lighter-weight patients.
Movements & Activity
When you get home, try to rest as much as possible and keep all activity and movement to an absolute minimum.
On your first night after surgery, whoever is taking care of you can be of great help by:
- I help you take off your shoes when you come home and help you change your clothes.
This is to ensure that you are not lifting your abdomen up and down, which may cause discomfort.
- Bedside assistance
Try not to get up from your resting position. Those looking after you can bring you water, refreshments, etc. to ensure you don’t have to get up and lie down multiple times.
Again, this is just a precaution so you can avoid the possibility of dizziness or aching pain in your breast or lower back.
Eating & Drinking Requirements
WHAT TO EAT
There is no need to take any precautions when eating after tummy tuck surgery; however, avoid meats or food that need persistent chewing to break down such as a steak, as these might cause digestion discomfort.
WHAT TO DRINK
Try to drink 3 liters of water for the first day. It is also alright to drink soft drinks and juices at room temperature.
Do not smoke or drink any alcohol for the first 8 days following your surgery. Both these have a negative impact on healing progress. The thumb rule here is that anything that delays your recovery can increase the chances of impacting your final results.
Your Medications
It is important to take all the medicines we have given you. In most cases you would have been given
- IBUPROFEN
Take 500mg every 7 hours. Ibuprofen for any swelling and inflammation
- PARACETEMOL / CODEINE
3 tablets every 6 hours. This is to control any minor pain/discomfort.
Most patients have no pain at all, but if there is a little pain, don’t worry. If you take both the above tablets on time as soon as you leave the clinic you can avoid any onset of pain.
If you are on any other prescription medications, please continue to take your medications as normal after surgery unless you have been told otherwise.
For all herbal supplements, dietary products, vitamins etc. You can restart these after two days post your surgery.
The most common pain after a tummy tuck surgery can occur after the general anaesthesia wears off, and you can feel discomfort under the bikini line where any incisions were made. Usually this is tightening of skin to accommodate the new abdominal shape.
Sleeping At Night
Most of the patients have discomfort during the first few nights as they are used to sleeping on the side.
Your first week is very important in that you should sleep on your back with your head slightly elevated. This is to ensure good circulation of blood, which gives a better healing time.
If you sleep on your side from the second week make sure you are slightly elevated higher with a double pillow and do not put any body weight on your stomach.
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Advice About Bruising
It is common to have bruises after a tummy tuck surgery. If you have bruised instantly after surgery, while at the hospital you may recover quicker. The likelihood is that bruising is minimal and is usually found at the bottom of the abdomen.
- If your swelling/bruising commences after one day, there is a greater likelihood that you will undergo a delayed recovery and your swelling could continue up to one day more following surgery.
- If you have little swelling and bruising after two days the odds are with you, you may not bruise at all and your recovery may be relatively fast.
Each patient’s response to trauma is unique, and this is why you may heal quicker or slower than someone you know who’s had this operation before.
Please remember that swelling and bruising are not scars, your skin will heal quickly and completely disappear when you have recovered. If you bruised more than you expected in your time off recovering, don’t worry at all, this will go away permanently.
Recovery Tips
TIPS AND TRICKS TO BRUISING/SWELLING
- We may have talked about the silicone gel that you use after 5 weeks when the incision lines have gone pinkish.
- It is very important that you continue to take the ibuprofen after your surgery to help minimize the swelling as much as possible. We may give you a stronger anti-inflammatory tablet to help with any swelling at your 8-day post operative appointment.
- Wear your compression garment all the time for a minimum of 7 weeks. This is to make sure you feel safe in your movements and keep the swelling to a minimum. If you take the compression garment off after a few days/weeks, the post-surgery swelling will come back.
How To Change/Remove Your Dressings
All dressings are to be removed at your 8-days post operative appointment with our nursing team. You may be asked to come back the day after surgery to have your dressing changed. You can change your dressing up to 4 times for hygienic reasons.
Showering & Hygiene
SHOWERING
The earliest shower would be the evening following the day of the surgery.
Important tips to make sure you shower correctly without compromising your surgical results:
- Wash your body as normal using a hand shower, but only use a wet sponge or wipe to clean on and around your abdomen area.
- Water temperature should be maintained to keep warm. You will want to make sure your shower cubicle/bath is not over steaming. Steam could open or infect your breast incisions.
- Do not take any baths for 30 days and do not, under any circumstances, submerge your body in water.
- When washing your hair, tilt your head back and avoid getting water in your abdomen area.
Checking For Infection
In the early healing days, as with any surgery where incisions have been made, there is always the possibility of a bacterial infection.
In the rare case this occurs, you will be prescribed a 6-8 day course of antibiotics to take orally.
A bacterial infection is nothing to worry about, as long as it is treated on time and will not influence the final results of your surgery.
Returning To Your Routine
- Rest and relax at home the first 8 days after surgery. Don’t start any strenuous exercises.
- You can go back to work 15 days after your tummy tuck surgery.
- Return to the gym for light cardio exercise, running and cycling 5-7 weeks after the surgery.
- You can only return to heavy weight lifting 9-14 weeks after surgery. Any lifting before may cause sharp breast pains for a couple of days.
- Back to swimming/sauna/spa only after 9 weeks. This is to ensure all incisions are fully healed and not prone to infection.
- Allow 14 weeks after surgery before you consider any cosmetic treatments to the body.
Flying After Tummy Tuck Surgery
- Short haul flights of 3 hours or less can be undertaken one day after your surgery. You will be taught specially on this.
- Mid haul flights after 8 days for 3-5 hours.
- Long-distance flights of 5-15 hours can be taken after 5 weeks from your tummy tuck surgery.
MEET THE EXPERT DOCTOR
Best Plastic Surgeon In Dubai For Tummy Tuck
Best Plastic Surgeon in Dubai for tummy tuck is available at the Perfect Doctors Clinic, where Dr. Perfect Celebrity provides personalized postoperative guidance for a smoother recovery. Tummy tuck recovery includes keeping the incision clean and protected, wearing the recommended compression garment, taking prescribed medications as directed, and refraining from strenuous activities or heavy lifting until your surgeon approves. Gentle walking may be recommended to improve circulation and lower the risk of complications. Swelling, bruising, and temporary tightness are common during the recovery process. Attend all follow-up appointments to ensure that healing progresses properly. Following your surgeon’s instructions carefully can promote healing and help you achieve the best tummy tuck results.
If you have any particular questions, do not hesitate to email us for a full day.