Recovery Experiences After Tummy Tuck

I've heard that the whole thing is very brutal to the body and sometimes the scar left behind isn't that pretty either. Just recently a very close friend of mine almost died from a breast lift. The girls look great now but she almost lost her life from it. Her experience has made me think about whether or not I really want to think about this surgery.

OK, basically a tummy tuck is like having a c-section. It should take about a month for you to be able to lift anything (including your children) that means no lifting them into carseats, highchairs, etc. or you could bust your stitches.

Keep in mind that a plastic surgeon told me your skin will continue to go back for 2-5 years after your last child.

Like you, I also looked into the tummy tuck because I gained and lost 65, 55, 45, lbs with each of my three children. I am 38 and felt old and fat!

After seeing how high and how prominent the smiley face scar on my friend was, I reconsidered. I was still disgusted with my body and so I joined weight watchers. (you don't have to buy special food and can eat the same thing as your family, you just count "points")

I lost 25 lbs (that I didn't even realize I was holding on to!) I was 5'4" and my pre-pregnancy was 145...I am now 120 and my tummy is amazingly flat...NOT FLAT LIKE TEENAGER WHO NEVER HAD KIDS, but flat like I don't have all that fat and skin sticking out over my pants when I sit down! Also because the weight came off slowly (I averaged .8 - 1.6 lbs a week, my skin went down with the weight loss).

Also, I did have lipo on my thighs years ago and there was a breast lift/augmentation next to me...I thought she was going to die! She was in so much pain. My other friend had one and couldn't lift her arms for weeks (again no lifting the twins) so don't sell yourself short on the amount of pain you will be in. I am still considering this surgery myself.

I know it is a difficult time for you and how you feel about your body...been there done that, but you may want to work on eating well and really getting down to the weight that you want. Once you are there, you can reconsider the tummy tuck. I am glad I did it naturally, and although it took me four months to do it, it wasn't painful at all!

Kate,

Do not do this procedure unless you are completely done with having children and you are within 10 pounds of your ideal weight. Having more kids, you are at risk of tearing muscle and skin that has been "tucked" and pulled to give you that taught tummy. Some plastic surgeons will require you to have a tubal or be on birth control before they will do this surgery because of the risk of stretching out again if you're pregnant later.
The specifics of this procedure, are nothing short of (forgive the word) brutal. It's surgery, so you're going to be exhausted and very, very sore following and requiring heavy duty pain medication. You will also bruise and need time for your body to recover and will not be able to lift anything over, say 20 pounds because of the stress on your belly.
Provided you are not within your ideal weight range, I'd give yourself time to get closer to that, get in good cardiovascular shape, and let your kids get a little older so they aren't as much to handle for those who are helping you.
The breast lift is a common pairing with tummy tuck and if you're going to get a big procedure like this, it's reasonable to pair them together, but be sure to do your homework and check references/credentials on your plastic surgeon(s), their staff, and the anesthesiologist they use.
I hope this helps,
P.
Helotes, Tx

Kate could you post a summary of the responses you got on this one? I just had my twins two months ago and would like to hear the range of experiences with this procedure.

I would advise that you wait and see how much your body can recooperate on its own. Your children are still fairly small to undergo such surgery at this time. If you drink alot of water and do some crunches for maybe a year your body will regain its elasticity (not sure on the spelling). Did you have them naturally or c-section? If it was natural you could start working out on crunches with an ABLounge its alot of fun to use! It feels like a swing kinda.

I have no tummy tuck advice, but much interest. I am working on losing my excess weight and having my final pregnancy before getting a tummy tuck.

I was wondering if anyone leaving advice that has had a tummy tuck had their TT done after delivering via cesarean... like
a 2-fer deal. I have had 2 c-sections and my last will be via c-section... does anyone know if you can get a tummy tuck same time you have your final c-secion?

Thanks for letting me tag onto your thread. :o)

~S.

I had a tummy tuck last year (November 29, 2007). It took my more than a month to be able to do ANYHTHING that I used to. Unless you will have someone to take care of you and the kids for NO LESS than 3 weeks, I would hold off on the surgery. I have a 4 year old and it was still tough for me. My mother and stayed with me for 2 weeks after the surgery and believe me, I needed every minute of the help. Recovery isn't TOO bad. I had a c-section with my little boy and the tummy tuck recovery was much easier than that. But you have to keep in mind that you are on pain killers all day and you are EXTREMELY limited on your mobility. The first 3-4 days I had to have help to the bathroom because I could not get myself up. Let me know if you have any other questions

I am 33...had a tummy tuck 11 wks ago. My boys were 20 months apart...#1 was 8lb 6oz..#2 was 9lb 7oz...an NO height to either of them...all head and shoulders! The tuck felt like having my emerg. c-section. My estimate was $6900 for all it entailed. The down time was flat on your back for almost a week. I had it on a Thur morning...I drove my son to kinder the next Fri morning. I thought I might pass out..but more so from getting off the pain meds that the pain. Turning my diesel Excursion takes more core muscles than I knew!!! By the end of two weeks I was doing everything I used to except pick up my kids and swing them around. I still can't lay on my stomach to sleep. But it's because I haven't been dilegent enough to stretch. I was working out after 4 wks. You will need full time help for the first week. This surgery is good for split stomach muscles and severely sagging stretched out skin. All the lipo disolve in the world can't fix those! PS: My friend had the breast lift done. She went home and slept off the anesthesia...then woke up and ate fajitas at Iguana Joes! She never took the first Tylenol! NOT saying that is the case w/ everyone...nor my surgery!! Good luck!

I have not had neither of the procedure myself but have friends that have and the tummy tuck is a very slow recovery my friend had to stay with her mom to help take care of her two small kids.And the breast lift is not as slow of a recovery but keep in mind everyone healing time is different just a lil advice from working in the medical field. Hope this help you. W. F.

I have not had this procedure done, but I have a friend who did. Her recovery time was 6 weeks. She also had it done to remove excess skin (after baby and exercising, she lost over 150 lbs!). She couldn't exercise, and gained a lot of the weight back. The after-effects aren't pretty either. Bloating, swelling, itchy, red, yuck!

I'm not trying to discourage you from it, but make sure you do a lot of research and talk to your doctor about side effects and recovery time before you make your decision.

Happy trails!

Hi Kate. I just had a TT. I'm about 2 1/2 weeks post. My stomach muscles were so stretched out it didnt matter that I was in good shape, my stomach was center attention everywhere I went. However, since I am such a chicken around needles/blood I put it off and would strap myself in body shapers if I had an event to attend. My husband and I met with a great female PA in a nearby city- since this was a very private matter I wasn't about to tell my family or children about the surgery. I didnt want to seem like I was vain. She actually held my hand while I was on the operating table getting anesethia and assured me once again she as going to take good care of me. I asked for a picture before she bandaged me all up and she agreed. I tell you, during the first week, that photo was my saving grace. Looking at it helped me see, accept and mentally picture how my body was looking underneath all the bandages. I had a pain pump (would highly recommend this), drainage tubes and slept in the recliner for 2 weeks with pillows all around me. My husband helped me to and from the bathroom. He helped give me sponge baths and attended to the drainage tubes. Unfortuntely, he had to go back to work on day 4, so I had to cook and take care of myself. Honestly, after day 3, you can move around alittle by yourself or should I say: creep around. I used a fold up chair to push around because you are very hunched over and I didnt want to invest in a walker. Do take the pain meds as prescribled. My kids were at my mom's for a "summer vacation" while all of this took place. After 2 weeks, my husband went to pick them up. They were ok with the fact that "mom was alittle slower...and didnt talk/do her usual house duties" but kids are kids, pretty soon they find something to amuse themselves with. The hardest part of recovery so far (other then the drainage tubes and pain pump) would be sleeping in my bed. Your back must be proped up, and you can't move because your stomach muscles are so tight from being pulled back together. It hurts to even turn 45 degrees. Oh, and on the 4th day, I started sneezing and coughing alittle here and there, and oh boy...there are no words to describe the pain. All I can say is if you feel it coming on, grab a pillow and hold it as tight as you can over your stomach as you sneeze or cough. You will have pain there - can't avoid it. I'm still in my binder, still not standing completely upright yet-but not hunched over as much as week 1. I've only been sleeping in my bed for 3 days, but week 2 will feel alot better than week 1. Honestly, the first day post-ops, I could hardly sit on the toilet -- but day 4 and 5, I could creep to the restroom all by myself. First time I took off my binder to shower, I had no control over my stomach, it felt like it was floating in space without me. No one told me about that and I never bothered to asked my PA. I'm expecting my compression girdle anyday now. Oh and I did have some breast work done at the same time as the TT. Still swollen somewhat, not so much around the incision, but around my stomach area where my muscles were repaired. So overall, I'm pleased. I cant wait till I get the ok to exercise again! I just dont know what to do when I dont exercise. I said alot, I hope it helps answer your question somewhat. Best of luck!

I am a 56 year French mother of four boys, aged nearly 22 and 25. I exercise regularly and keep fairly fit and healthy and although I'm in reasonable shape I realized that I would never lose my loose tummy skin from putting on over 25kgs with each pregnancy and that my only option would be surgery.
I had significant muscle separation from my two childbirths, along with a stubborn belly bulge that turned into 3 lovely rolls when I sat down (even at my "ideal weight").

I had several consultations with many surgeons in Miami (where I live) and in France,, (the first consultation was over 3 years prior to surgery). The price the surgeons asked me for a TT in France or in Miami were too high for me,, besides I wanted to take advantage of this surgery to have a facelift at same time.

On January 2009 my best friend has had several procedures done in Bolivia (TT, liposuction, facelift, and breast lift) through MakeoverTravel, an agency that organizes plastic surgery trip for american and european people looking for an affordable plastic surgery but with high quality standard in South America). I was really impressed with the results of her surgery and the cost she ^paid for it was really affordable.
So on June 2010 I decided to go to Bolivia to have my TT done and a mini facelift. I had to stay 17 days in Bolivia and I paid 5700$ for both surgeries and my stay in a 4stars hotel.

The entire experience has been amazing. I have to say that the first four days after surgery was the worst. The hardest part for me was the draining tubes. I had 1 removed 1 week after surgery and the 2nd removed 10 days after that. The only pain I had was my back hurting from having to stay bent over. I never had the crazy swelling some women report. All in all was'nt that bad, not half as bad as I thought and told it was going to be. Just an inconvenience most of the time. Totally worth it.

Dear Kate,
I hope to be of some help. I had a tummy tuck about 16
years ago and it was the best thing I could have done.
My first born was vaginal but it should have been a
c-section......child was later diagnoised with cerebral
palsy. Had three more c-section so you can imagine my
stomach. It was like I had a butt in the front.
If you aren't going to have anymore babies its the best
thing you can do for yourself........I had about 5lbs
of excessive skin, not that much fat. My recovery was
like when I had my babies. I was 42yrs old. I don't
recommend the two procedures at the same time. You
will need help with the bambinos. I live in a border
town so I had help. Its about a 4 week recovery. MY
youngest at the time was nine. Go for it!!!
D.

I just had a friend who returned to work after having a tummy tuck. Granted, it was a male, but he lost 140 lbs in one year. He was out for 4 weeks and during those 4 weeks, he had to have his parents there to help him bathe, drive him to doctor's appointments, and to help him do things he normally did on his own. He said it was painful, but in the end it was worth it. It's your decision...just weigh the benefits and the disadvantages. Talk to your husband...is there someone else who can also help you should you decide to do this now? Best of luck!

I have had a TRAM (essentially a very intricate tummy tuck as I needed skin and fat to reconstruct breasts after having a mastectomy due to breast cancer). I had the surgery almost a year ago. My little guy was almost 3 when I had the surgery, so you have got a little more "hands on" with two younger twins! First - I assume you don't plan on having additional children? You don't want to have this procedure and then get pregnant again! I was in the hospital for 6 days (remember my surgery was reconstructing breast and was an 11 hour surgery, so don't freak out thinking you would go in that long). I guess my point is, I had lots of help as I was down for several days. If you have a good support group that can help you out for a few weeks, you should be fine. If you are short on hands, I would suggest giving it a bit more time until the kids are more self sufficient. Good luck!!

I have never had a tummy tuck. However, I have recently heard of a less invasive technique called a thermage treatment. This can significantly tighten the skin and diminish the appearance of cellulite and stretch marks. You might want to check into this before considering a procedure that may potentially cause dangerous side effects.
L.

Hi Kate,

I can see you have received lots of great advice already, but I thought I'd throw in my two cents too. I have twins who just turned two in January. I had a tummy tuck when they were 15 months old. I gained and lost almost 80 pounds with my boys. They weighed 6'3'' and 6'15'. During the 15 months prior to my surgery, I was able to get back to my pre pregnancy wieght, which is normal for a person of my size and build. I had a hernia just under my belly button that I kept thinking would go away as the pounds were shed. It never went away. My belly also never went away. I couldn't wear many of my pre pregnancy shirts. I felt vain when I made the appointment with my plastic surgeon. I wondered if I was just being lazy. My doctor examined me and told me that my muscles were pulled apart and that I could never do enough situps to get rid of my bulge. I didn't have much excess fat. It was mostly skin. I decided to have the TT done and also to have my hernia fixed. When I went for my follow up appointment, my doctor told me that my stomach muscles were 2 inches apart. I have never regretted my decision. I didn't think the recovery was all that bad. I had a c - section and I couldn't imagine it being worse than that recovery, which for me, due to complications, was terrible. The worst part was that you have to come home with drains that are inserted just below the incision. They are cumbersome and can be very easily yanked on. Those drains were removed after about a week, and then I felt so much better. You walk hunched over for a couple of weeks because the stomach muscles need time to stretch. I didn't leave the house very much for those first two weeks. My mom stayed home with me for a few days and then my cousin came over to help me lift my boys in and out of their beds during the day. I found lots of creative ways to get around lifting my boys. I made steps up to their cribs and with the rail down, I could just help them get into and out of their cribs. You do really have to be careful for a full 6 weeks. If you rip those stitches, it's disaster. I am now almost a year post my procedure and my stomach is nice and flat. I feel much better in my clothes. You do have to make it a priority not to gain lots of weight because if you get a "roll" on your belly, it will "roll" over the scar and that's no pretty sight. As for my scar, it's there for me and my husband to see. It's very low even my skimpy underwear will cover it. I say go for it! You'll feel great!

W.

Hi Kate! I had a tummy tuck when my youngest was two years old. I had the TT at the same time I had a hysterectomy, so my recovery was a bit more complicated. My advice based on my experience (and remember, I had more done than just the TT), wait until your kids are a bit older and make sure that you have help for at least the first two weeks. My parents helped out and my husband was between jobs so he was home. I was able to just lay back (or recline a bit - you can't straighten for quite a while) and recover.

Another thing that really helped me with the recovery - in the weeks and months before the surgery I hired a personal trainer to design a fitness routine that targeted my core. I worked out like a fiend and was in the best shape of my life. I made sure that my diet was extremely healthy, too. I told my doctor that I wanted to give him the best canvas on which to work his magic. It was invaluable. I had a very easy recover - NO complications at all.

If you'd like more info - and my before and after pictures - please feel free to e-mail me at ____@____.com is a very big decision and you need to get a lot of info before you do it. Good luck!!

Kate - I had a tummy tuck when my daughter was 4. It's quite a tangled story. i couln't get pregnant & was having treatments, surgeries for that, and decided to pursue adoption also. I had a laporotomy on mar. 11, 1993 which was painful and I looked like I was about 8 mon. pregnant. Only I wasn't. On June 11, 1993, my daughter was born. I continued to have pain from the endometriosis, had internal scarring from the surgery, couldn't stand up straight for a year and was on pain medication for a year. (A chiropractor helped w/all that.) Flash forward after more infertility treatments & giving up on that. I was still bloated. So i planned the tummy tuck, but I'd also developed incontinence & had a bladder suspencion, hysterectomy and more endometriosis removal was done at the same time. So I wasn't your typical case. i think the bladder re-suspension was almost the worst, but the tuck is really painful. My doctor was supposedly one of the best in Houston (can't remember whole name now, but it was French - Jean ...) . he gives quite good follow-up care. Again, make sure you know all the facts about mainly after-care. You will need full-time help for a while to take care of twin toddlers. (If you decide to do it, you'll never look at pot holes again in the same manner. Put a pillow on your stomach to stabilize it in the car. And my doctor had me wear a full, one-piece 'corset' to stabilize muscles that have been cut, stretched & pulled half way around your abdomen.) So, good luck with your decision. (Do you have to have it right now or wait - get twins in nursery school for a break ?)

Hi Kate. I would just like to encourage you to tone up without having surgery. I think procedures like these are in danger of leaving abdominal scar tissue that can later cause bowel blockage. I don't mean to sound so dramatic, but I think it's better to do things naturally. I wish you well whatever your decision is. B.