At Kadz Plastic Surgery in Beverly Hills, CA, Dr. Bruce Kadz is driven to help each of his clients improve their aesthetic and self-esteem. Often, people come in with concerns about the appearance or functionality of their abdominal region, and they find that a tummy tuck, otherwise known as abdominoplasty, is the optimal solution for them. Today, we’re taking a closer look at this procedure, as well as other procedures that may benefit you.
What Is Recovery Like After a Tummy Tuck?
Once your procedure is complete, you will be observed for a few hours in a recovery room until the effects of the anesthesia have worn off sufficiently. A tummy tuck is an outpatient procedure, so you will be able to return home on the same day as your procedure. However, you should anticipate needing a week or two off from work to dedicate to your recovery. How soon you can get back to work depends on several factors, including the scope of your procedure.
What Can I Do To Recover From Surgery Faster?
To recover from surgery as quickly as possible, it is essential that you follow all of your post-operative care guidelines. One of the most important rules to follow is to wear a prescription-strength compression garment at all times for at least two weeks except when you bathe. After that point, you should wear your compression garment for one to six more weeks, but it can be removed at night. This is essential for many reasons, including improving circulation in the area.
Another vital rule to follow to recover from surgery as quickly as possible is to take all medications exactly as they as prescribed. You should take a full course of antibiotics to mitigate the risk of a bacterial infection. If you get sick during your recovery, it will take you longer to recover than it should. Additionally, it is important that you do not take too many prescription analgesics in a day.
Will I Need To Follow a Special Diet After Surgery?
There is no specific diet required following a tummy tuck. However, there are several things you should keep in mind when planning your post-op meals. One thing to keep in mind is that there are plenty of hydrating fluids in your diet. Fruits, broth-based soups, and most vegetables are great for helping you stay hydrated. Additionally, you should aim to drink around half a gallon of hydrating fluids, like water and tea, every day.
You should also keep in mind that you may not drink alcohol for at least two weeks after surgery. Alcohol consumption often leads to dehydration, and your body often flushes out a lot of essential nutrients when you urinate after drinking alcohol. Furthermore, alcohol consumption can increase your blood pressure significantly and impede your recovery in other ways. Additionally, you should make sure you are getting enough vital micronutrients, like:
- Vitamin C
- Zinc
- Amino acids
Will I Be Able To Exercise After Surgery?
You may not feel up to walking a lot during the first one to three days following your procedure. It is crucial that you listen to your body carefully, and rest whenever you feel you need to. Once you are feeling up to it though, it is highly advisable that you participate in gentle aerobic activity. Walking and other forms of gentle exercise will help to facilitate faster healing because it supports your cardiovascular and pulmonary systems.
It is important to support your pulmonary system because your skin needs oxygen to produce collagen so it can heal itself. It is important to support your circulatory system because it is responsible for delivering oxygen, growth factors, essential micronutrients, and more to your skin so it can heal itself. Just keep in mind that you should not lift heavy weights or engage in any other strenuous physical activity for six to eight weeks post-op.
How Long Does Abdominoplasty Take?
You can generally expect your procedure to take two to five hours to complete. If you opt for a partial abdominoplasty, your procedure probably won’t take more than two hours. Your procedure may take closer to four hours if you feel that full abdominoplasty is more appropriate for you. You may need to dedicate closer to eight hours to surgery if you also need other procedures to achieve your desired appearance.
What Other Procedures May Help Me Improve My Appearance?
Breast Lift
Generally, you will be considered a good candidate for a breast lift, also known as mastopexy, if you feel self-conscious about your appearance due to sagging or drooping breasts. Commonly, women come in for this procedure when the shape and firmness of their breasts have changed due to pregnancy and breastfeeding. However, you also may benefit from this procedure if your appearance has changed due to:
- Extreme weight loss
- Genetics
- Aging
You also will probably qualify for this procedure if your nipples rest below the crease of your breast or point downwards. During surgery, we can reposition your nipples to achieve a more youthful, beautiful aesthetic. During your initial consultation, we’ll let you know what results you can realistically expect. However, you should know that you may lose up to half a cup of breast volume during this procedure.
Breast Augmentation
You can generally expect to qualify for breast augmentation if you want to restore lost volume due to weight loss, breastfeeding, or other factors. Similarly, you may be deemed a good fit for surgery if you have never been satisfied with the size of your breasts. Additionally, this procedure can benefit you if you want to correct symmetry issues.
During your initial consultation, we will talk about what your aesthetic goals are. If you are healthy enough for surgery, we will advise you on whether your implants should be placed above or below your chest muscles. We will also discuss the benefits of saline, silicone, and structured saline implants.
Brazilian Butt Lift
A Brazilian butt lift, otherwise known as a BBL, is an excellent cosmetic procedure for people who have sufficient fat in donor sites and concerns about the size and shape of their buttocks. During this procedure, liposuction is used to remove fat from areas with too much subcutaneous fat, like the stomach, hips, thighs, back, or flanks. Once the excess fat has been removed from the donor areas, it is processed.
Any fat cells damaged during the extraction process are discarded. Then, the healthy fat cells are cleaned. After that, they will be injected into strategic points in your buttocks to improve their size and shape.
Liposuction
Liposuction is a great complement to abdominoplasty. This procedure is designed to remove approximately a quarter of localized subcutaneous fat cells from large areas, like the abdomen. Furthermore, this procedure can be used to remove up to four-fifths of localized fat cells from small regions of the body.
To be considered a good candidate for this procedure, you need to have realistic expectations about what results you can expect. You should understand that this is not a weight loss procedure; it is a fat removal procedure. Depending on your body mass, this procedure can only safely remove up to 11 pounds of fat. It is also important to understand that you will not qualify for surgery if you suffer from obesity.
Arm Tuck
An arm tuck, otherwise known as brachioplasty, is another popular procedure that we offer. You should qualify for this procedure if you have loose, sagging skin negatively affecting the appearance of your upper arms. Additionally, you can benefit from this procedure if you feel self-conscious about the shape of your triceps.
However, you should be aware that you cannot have a significant amount of fat removed during this procedure. If you have a lot of upper arm fat that you want to eliminate, you may need to combine liposuction with this procedure to achieve your desired aesthetic.
Schedule Your Initial Consultation Today
Abdominoplasty recovery experiences vary, but you can generally expect to feel exhausted for one to three days post-op. You can expect to be back to work within a week or two of surgery, and strenuous physical activity should be limited for no more than two months. To find out if you are a good fit for a tummy tuck or any other procedure, contact us now at Kadz Plastic Surgery in Beverly Hills, CA to schedule an appointment with Dr. Bruce Kadz.
