Advice for someone after a tummy tuck

[Topscot]

I was wondering who out there has had a tummy tuck. I am 12 days post op after a full tummy tuck and liposuction on my hips and still quite swollen. I didn't realize before having it done that the swelling takes months to go away. We are going on a Disney Cruise in 8 weeks (ok'd by my plastic surgeon), but I had thought before the surgery that I would be completely recovered by then. No one told me that I would still be swollen. I would like to hear about others experiences. Thanks.

Mel

 

[a1tinkfans]

No experience here, but want to wish you a "fast" recovery and a wonderful trip!

 

[themilesfamily]

I would love to have one someday. To the OP, how was the pain? I've heard it's pretty brutal.

Hope you recover quickly!!!!

 

[plutolovr]

I had one in June. All I can say is make sure you wear a compression garment 24/7 and exercise or walk. I got back on the elliptical in a week and walked twice a day. This helps with the swelling. Also, drink lots of water and buy some Arnica gel. This helps with bruising and swelling and feels really good.
Good luck.

 

[arminnie]

They should have told you to expect up to a year. Or maybe more if muscles were also moved. You can do a tummy tuck with and without (much easier) muscle movement.

I went to a plastic surgeon yesterday for the dog bite on my lips. I was just chatting with the doctor about the stuff he does (and reading those little brochures). Either he or the brochure said that it can take months for full adjustment. And that was the one w/o muscle movement.

Now it might be 70 or 80 % at 8 weeks, I didn't ask specifics, but I specifically remember that the results were not instantaneous. It's a very major surgery if the muscles are involved.

I also have a good friend who has been a plastic surgeon for many years. And I know 2-3 people who have had one. I really don't remember the specifics of their recovery- been a few years, but it takes quite awhile.

At 12 days post surgery I would expect you to be VERY swollen. I saw a friend 14 days post surgery for eye flap and it looked awful - gross like why did she do that. About 10 days later she looks good but is not near fully recovered. And that surgery is nothing compared to what you had done.

I've also been told that the pain is minimal. Not non-existant, but not brutal.

 

[jaminmd]

I was wondering who out there has had a tummy tuck. I am 12 days post op after a full tummy tuck and liposuction on my hips and still quite swollen. I didn't realize before having it done that the swelling takes months to go away. We are going on a Disney Cruise in 8 weeks (ok'd by my plastic surgeon), but I had thought before the surgery that I would be completely recovered by then. No one told me that I would still be swollen. I would like to hear about others experiences. Thanks.

Mel

You can have that swelling for months. As uncomfortable as your abdominal binder can be, continue to wear it 24/7 as a prior poster stated. You are not out of the woods yet.

Complications can & do occur weeks after surgery such as seroma or infection, so just be aware of that. The use of the binder will definitely help diminish the formation of a seroma (or minimize it if it does form).

Are your drains out? Be aware that you can still "spit" stitches months after your procedure, too.

I know I sound like a negative nelly but these things can/do happen. Most of the time they don't, though.

How are you feeling otherwise?

 

[ckmommy]

Considering doing this surgery...I am very interested in the responses!!

 

[DisneyScraps]

I had one after I had my daughter that was 9 years ago. It took about 3 months for the swelling to go down to where it wasn't noticeable I had a rope like scar for several years. It's totally faded now but it took years to fade.

You may or may not be swollen on the cruise, I would make contingency plans for clothing just in case.

Have a great time on the cruise.

Lisa

 

[Topscot]

Thanks for the replies. For those of you thinking about doing this, it was quite painful the first few days. I was in the hospital overnight. I was very nervous getting out of bed the first time (worried about my stitches and how much it would hurt). I had 3 drains in, 2 came out after a week and the 3rd after 3 more days. I am really swollen as I said before on my right side, the left side feels great. Make sure you find a really really good plastic surgeon. My doctor said that it would be ok to swim, go to Disney world before the cruise. I think that I will skip Space Mountain. I just hope that all that walking doesn't make me more swollen. I have been planning this cruise much longer than I have been planning this surgery. I really did think that once the incision was healed I'd be good to go so I am quite nervous about how it will be on vacation. I still have 8 weeks to go so hopefully I'll make a lot of progress before then.

Thanks very much for your good wishes.

 

[arminnie]

You are going to make huge process in the next 8 weeks. Nothing at all like it is now.

 

[Topscot]

You are going to make huge process in the next 8 weeks. Nothing at all like it is now.

Thanks for the encouragement. I hope your right. My right side just stings! Sorry to hear about your upper lip. I use to have a poodle who would bite people he didn't know and occasionally me if he got woken up out of a dream.

 

[Mrs. Charming]

OP I hope you have a speedy recovery with excellent results. I hope to have a tummy tuck someday, DS was 10lbs at birth and *destroyed* my stomach. I'm glad to hear of honest accounts!

 

[joviroxx]

Im been "interviewing" plastic surgeons myself for this and reading a lot of messageboards. I saw this thread and was excited to read it! I have two trips coming up, April and June and although the plastic surgeons all said I would be fine, reading blogs , I realized the swelling can be for a while so I decided to wait "just in case".

breasthealthonline.com and realself.com have really given me a lot of information and filled with people who have done it,are doing it or just went through it.

Good luck in your recovery, Im sure you will be fine!!

 

[sparklynails23]

After your drains are removed, there's rebound swelling, because the liquid now has to stay in the body. Walking short distances helps. Don't overdo it. You'll be fine in 8 weeks, and you'll look great.

 

[arminnie]

Thanks for the encouragement. I hope your right. My right side just stings! Sorry to hear about your upper lip. I use to have a poodle who would bite people he didn't know and occasionally me if he got woken up out of a dream.

Thanks. I did look like a smile train ad when it happened. I was so depressed thinking that I was going to look like that for months until they could operate. But within 3 months it had healed beautifully. I'm having this done because of the inner scaring not necessarily for how it looks externally - thank goodness.

I know you are going to be so much better. I've had some pretty major surgeries over the years. You are really barely out of surgery. When I said months till full swelling subsides I meant that you may still have some minor changes up to about a year. Most of it will be gone pretty quickly.

FYI to others I've never had a clue what plastic surgery costs. I was not about to ask my friend who is one what he charges as that would sort of be like asking how much money he makes.

But I have done some investigation here in Arkansas from a really TOP guy who can probably charge the max in this market. OP I am not even going to give an estimate on what your procedure was as I am not trying to imply what you spent. That is your business only.

So here's what I have found out:
Eyes - upper and lower about $7000
Full face lift - a little over $10,000
Bottom eye with body contouring (removal of fat around waist with some skin removal for after a major weight loss) - not a full tummy tuck with muscle movement - about $11,000.

These are all inclusive fees that include surgical center, anesth. surgeon, etc.

 

[rie'smom]

My daughter had lipo the week before Christmas. It took almost a month for her to start noticing results. She looks great 6 weeks post op. It can take up to 6 months for all of the swelling to go away.
Also, if you've had tumescent lipo you should not wear the compression garment 24/7 after a couple of weeks because that can block lymphatic draining which can make it take a longer time for the swelling to disappear.

 

[Topscot]

Im been "interviewing" plastic surgeons myself for this and reading a lot of messageboards. I saw this thread and was excited to read it! I have two trips coming up, April and June and although the plastic surgeons all said I would be fine, reading blogs , I realized the swelling can be for a while so I decided to wait "just in case".

breasthealthonline.com and realself.com have really given me a lot of information and filled with people who have done it,are doing it or just went through it.

Good luck in your recovery, Im sure you will be fine!!

I have been looking at the messageboards on realself.com. I think that is making me more worried than setting my mind at ease. Stories about seromas and infection and incisions coming apart are keeping me up at night. I would definitely wait until all vacations are done with. You just never know what complications are going to come up. I now wish I had waited until my vacation was done. I am now going to be worried about being in the pool too long, straining my incision, being so swollen that I can't function the way I had planned to.

I notice that you are looking at info regarding breasts. I had initially though of having a breast augmentation along with the tummy tuck. I am sooo glad that I didn't do it. The compression garment around my abdomen restricted my breathing so much it was really hard to take a proper breath. I can't imagine have a compression dressing around my chest at the same time. It would be claustrophobic.

Thanks. I did look like a smile train ad when it happened. I was so depressed thinking that I was going to look like that for months until they could operate. But within 3 months it had healed beautifully. I'm having this done because of the inner scaring not necessarily for how it looks externally - thank goodness.

I know you are going to be so much better. I've had some pretty major surgeries over the years. You are really barely out of surgery. When I said months till full swelling subsides I meant that you may still have some minor changes up to about a year. Most of it will be gone pretty quickly.

FYI to others I've never had a clue what plastic surgery costs. I was not about to ask my friend who is one what he charges as that would sort of be like asking how much money he makes.

But I have done some investigation here in Arkansas from a really TOP guy who can probably charge the max in this market. OP I am not even going to give an estimate on what your procedure was as I am not trying to imply what you spent. That is your business only.

So here's what I have found out:
Eyes - upper and lower about $7000
Full face lift - a little over $10,000
Bottom eye with body contouring (removal of fat around waist with some skin removal for after a major weight loss) - not a full tummy tuck with muscle movement - about $11,000.

These are all inclusive fees that include surgical center, anesth. surgeon, etc.

I don't mind sharing with you how much it was. It helps people decide. For the surgeon fee, anesthesia fee, and hospital fee, it came to just under $10,000.00 for a full tummy tuck and hip liposuction.

My daughter had lipo the week before Christmas. It took almost a month for her to start noticing results. She looks great 6 weeks post op. It can take up to 6 months for all of the swelling to go away.
Also, if you've had tumescent lipo you should not wear the compression garment 24/7 after a couple of weeks because that can block lymphatic draining which can make it take a longer time for the swelling to disappear.

I don't know if I had tumescent lipo or not. It wasn't discussed. But they did stress that I needed to leave the compression garment on 24/7 until I got my drains out and then only when I had a shower. I will be getting my other skin tight garment which wears more like really high underwear about 3 weeks after my surgery. I know I will feel so much better wearing that. I just was not prepared to have to wear that at Disney World and on the boat. I can take it off to swim and will definitely put it back on under regular clothes. They said that I only have to wear it for 3 months after the surgery date, so 2 months and 1 week.

I am just worried about this continued swelling in my right hip and numbness. My doctor doesn't seem to concerned though.

 

[Mickey527]

Topscot, you don't wear the binders when you have breast reconstruction, they give you a stretch bra, much like a sport bra.
I had a TRAM flap when I had my mastectomy. the Dr used part of my stomach muscle to reconstruct the removed breast. So it was just like having a tummy tuck, same basic procedure but they moved the stuff up instead of tossing it out... Unfortunately chemo caused the muscle to die off a bit and I had to get most of it debrided when I was done with radiation. But I have the flattest stomach around, never was this flat even before children.
I wore the binder for about a week, until they removed the drains, then only at night.
I had an implant done about 6 months ago. I do have some slight swelling still but that is mainly because I had all the lymph glands removed and the drainage is not good, most people have full recovery after 2 months.
My sister had a tummy tuck and lipo with some skin removed on her legs because she lost 150 lbs and skin was stretched terrible. Her sutures opened and had to be redone. worse scars ever, it looks terrible. She wore her binder for almost 2 months.
I had the best plastic surgeon in the tri state area, no personality but he does great work. My insurance paid everything.
My sister chose her surgeon based on what he charged since she had to pay out of pocket. I can see she got what she paid for.

 

[Topscot]

Topscot, you don't wear the binders when you have breast reconstruction, they give you a stretch bra, much like a sport bra.
I had a TRAM flap when I had my mastectomy. the Dr used part of my stomach muscle to reconstruct the removed breast. So it was just like having a tummy tuck, same basic procedure but they moved the stuff up instead of tossing it out... Unfortunately chemo caused the muscle to die off a bit and I had to get most of it debrided when I was done with radiation. But I have the flattest stomach around, never was this flat even before children.
I wore the binder for about a week, until they removed the drains, then only at night.
I had an implant done about 6 months ago. I do have some slight swelling still but that is mainly because I had all the lymph glands removed and the drainage is not good, most people have full recovery after 2 months.
My sister had a tummy tuck and lipo with some skin removed on her legs because she lost 150 lbs and skin was stretched terrible. Her sutures opened and had to be redone. worse scars ever, it looks terrible. She wore her binder for almost 2 months.
I had the best plastic surgeon in the tri state area, no personality but he does great work. My insurance paid everything.
My sister chose her surgeon based on what he charged since she had to pay out of pocket. I can see she got what she paid for.

I'm actually an OR nurse, and where I worked, we would put a lot of gauze, then the support bra and then wrap the breasts in a tight ace bandage to help compress them to decrease on swelling. So, maybe different surgeons put on different dressings. But I know if I had woken up with that ace bandage on, I would have felt worse than when I woke up with just the abdominal binder.

Sorry to hear about having to get a TRAM flap done. It's a hard procedure to go through, although you're right, you do have a great flat stomach after.

 

[ckmommy]

I just met with my Dr. today. My OB/GYN gave this dr. the best reviews around. I have been really critical of my body for a long time. I have no breasts really and have this little pouch on my belly (5 kids in 5 years will do that). I knew there was nothing I could do physically to make my breasts grow, but I thought I would be able to make the pouch go away. After 4 years of heavy ab work daily, it still had not gone away.
So, I gave all this info to the Dr. today. I looked into the full tummy tuck and told her that I was not real sure if I wanted to do this, but did ask about a mini tummy tuck. I have really good ab muscles from all the sit ups. After the naked exam, she agreed with me about the breast enlargement and the mini tummy tuck. She said that there are only a VERY few amount of people that can have a mini tummy tuck and I qualified!! My Surgery date is March 29th!!

Cost is just under $9,000. I felt this was a very fair price. She is doing the mini tuck for a very good price!
I am scared, but hope this will build some self confidence in me and my body!