Tummy Tuck: Prices, Photos, Reviews, Info, Q&A

How much should I be walking everyday? I had tummy tuck surgery yesterday.

Walking Bent Over After Tummy Tuck

You want to walk a little bent over the first few days to take some of the tension off of the incision point. (Robert N. Young, MD, FACS, San Antonio Plastic Surgeon)

Tummy tuck recovery

Because a tummy tuck tightens loose or stretched abdominal muscles and a lot of excess skin is removed, you may walk and sit a little hunched over for a few days after the operation. You should not even try to stand up straight during this time because you risk separating the incisions.

Walking after tummy tuck photos

Also, you should minimize the strenuousness or suddenness of such exertions as coughing, sneezing, laughing, and bowel movements. You can generally return to work in 2 weeks.

This surgery takes about 3 hours and can often can be performed as an outpatient procedure under twilight sedation instead of general anesthesia. Postoperative pain pumps have made recovery much faster and easier as well. (Michelle Copeland, MD, DMD, New York Plastic Surgeon)

Bending over after tummy tuck

This is usually done to take or minimize tension on the suture line. By bending over this lessens the tension.Most of my patients are standing erect a day or two later. (Robert Brueck, MD, Fort Myers Plastic Surgeon)

Walking Bent Over Following Tummy Tuck

Walking after tummy tuck photo

Because so much skin is removed from the lower abdomen during a full tummy tuck, the patient’s incision is closed under significant tension.

Therefore the patient must walk bent over to reduce the pain and reduce the tension as the abdominal skin relaxes. Usually the patient can walk upright win the first 1-2 weeks. (Richard Wellington Swift, MD, New York Plastic Surgeon)

Bent at waist post tummy tuck

With a tummy tuck, one is taking of a significant amount of tissue. Now we have to get you back together. Most Plastic Surgeons will bend the patient 30 to 45 degrees at the waist in the operating room. The wound is on significant tension.

Nordic Walking after tummy tuck

To take tension off this fresh wound, most Plastic Surgeons have the patient rest in a reclining chair, or have three pillows propped up behind them. They also will have the patients walk “like Groucho Marx” for at fer days. Most patients are fairly straight in about a week. (Jeffrey Roth, MD, Las Vegas Plastic Surgeon)

Tummy tuck stance

Usually after a tummy tuck I have my patients stay a bit hunched over to avoid tension on the wound closure at the lower abdomen. This may help with wound healing until the body adjusts to the removal of the excess tissue. (Steven Wallach, MD, Manhattan Plastic Surgeon)

Walking after tummy tuck operation

This will give you an idea of the bent over issue following tummy tucks. I try to get my personal patients to stand straight by 4 days, but not an absolute rule.  (Darryl J. Blinski, MD, Miami Plastic Surgeon)

Women Do NOT have to walk bent over after a Tummy Tuck similar to the Grouch Marx pose. The bent over position is a combination – Pain and tightness from the surgery – Fear by the woman she “would do something wrong” and “ruin” her surgery and – SOME surgeon instruct their patients to walk this way.

IF NO undue amount of tension was placed by the surgeon on the surgical closure, the surgeon did not TELL his patients to walk this way (to protect his closure from tension) and, most importantly, the woman was NOT in pain, forcing her to tighten the tummy and lean over to lessen the discomfort, there would be NO “Groucho Walking” after Tummy Tucks.

By properly educating my patients BEFORE surgery on what to expect, avoiding a lost of tension on the closure and numbing the tummy after surgery for prolonged anesthesia – the vast majority of my patients walk straight after a tummy tuck. (Peter A. Aldea, MD, Memphis Plastic Surgeon)