What To Expect When You Are Getting A Tummy Tuck

If you are planning to get yourself a tummy tuck, also known as an abdominoplasty, you may be both excited and nervous. A part of the nervousness stems from the fact that you do not know what to expect from the procedure itself or the recovery process. To help alleviate your fears and concerns, learn more about what you can expect when you are getting yourself a tummy tuck. Then, you can feel better about the process and prepare yourself at the same time. 

You Will Need to Fast Before the Surgery

Just like with many surgeries, you will need to fast before your tummy tuck surgery. Usually, this means anywhere from an 8 to 14 hour fast. This is to ensure that you do not experience nausea or vomiting from anesthesia and to just make the procedure go more smoothly overall. This also helps to prevent aspirations. Aspirations occur when the food and drink in the stomach is pushed up into the lungs, which can damage the lungs, cause infections, and could even result in death.  

Be prepared for the fasting process and make sure you adhere strictly to the time schedule your surgeon gives you. It is not an arbitrary request and is for your own safety and well-being. 

Know If Your Procedure Is Inpatient or Outpatient

One of the important things to ask your surgeon is whether your tummy tuck procedure will be performed as an inpatient or outpatient procedure. If it is inpatient procedure, you will be spending at least one night in the hospital or medical center. An outpatient procedure means that if everything goes well, you will be going home the same day. 

if you are having an outpatient procedure, you will need to make sure you have someone drive you to the procedure and wait for you to be done. You will be unable to drive after your surgery due to the lingering effects of anesthesia. 

Be Prepared to Wear an Abdominal Binder

After your surgery is complete and you are in recovery, you will have bandages placed over your incision. But you will also most likely be put into an abdominal binder. Abdominal binders are compression devices that help to reduce swelling and keep everything in place as your incisions heal. Most people will wear their abdominal binder for four to six weeks after surgery is complete.  

Plan on Not Showering Right Away

After you get home, you may not feel the best, as you may be sore and feel dirty. While you can sponge bathe, avoiding your incision, you will not be able to shower for a while. Many surgeons leave drainage tubes at the incision site to allow fluids and blood to drain out of the incision. You cannot shower while you still have drainage tubes. 

And once your drainage tubes are removed, you will need to wait around 48 hours before you get the area wet with a shower. So, make a plan for how you will clean the rest of your body while your incision heals. And also be sure to follow the instructions for keeping your incision and drainage tubes clean given to you by your doctor. 

Now that you know more about what to expect from your tummy tuck experience, you can feel calmer and more prepared for your upcoming surgery.