Recovery After a Tummy Tuck

Medically reviewed by
Medically reviewed by Scott Sundick, MD, FACS on November 16, 2019
Scott Sundick, MD, FACS, is a board-certified vascular and endovascular surgeon. He currently practices in Westfield, New Jersey.
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Scott Sundick, MD, FACS
on November 16, 2019
Written by
Written by Millicent Odunze, MD
Millicent Odunze Geers, MD, MPH, is a plastic surgeon with Dignity Health Medical Foundation.
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Millicent Odunze, MD
Doctor surgery in operation room
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A tummy tuck, also known as an abdominoplasty, is a cosmetic procedure that reshapes the abdominal wall by removing abdominal skin and fat. If a separation of the abdominal muscles has occurred (known as diastasis recti), repair or tightening of these muscles may be necessary. The road to recovery can be tough.

Here is some helpful information:

  • How to Care for Your Abdomen and Incision After a Tummy Tuck
  • Your tummy tuck incision may extend from hip bone to hip bone if you have a full tummy tuck, or may be a little shorter if you have a mini tummy tuck. Read here for tips on how to take care of your incision, drains, and dressings after your tummy tuck.
  • How to Manage Your Pain After a Tummy Tuck
  • Pain after a tummy tuck is unavoidable, but it doesn't have to be unbearable! There are things you can do to make your recovery course less painful. Read here for tips on how to make your experience less painful.
  • When to Resume Activities After a Tummy Tuck
  • After a tummy tuck, you will be limited in the activities that you can perform. Read here for advice on when you'll be able to return to work, exercise, have sex, drive, and many other activites.
Recovery After Other Plastic Surgery Procedures
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Article Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial policy to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
  • American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Liposuction Recovery. Accessed May 22, 2011.
  • Gingrass MK. Liposuction. In Thorne CHM, Beasely RW, Aston SJ, Bartlett SP, Gurtner GC, Spear S, eds. Grabb and Smith’s Plastic Surgery, 6th ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott, 2007.
  • Hunstad JP. Liposuction of the Hips and Thighs. In Evans GRD, ed. Operative Plastic Surgery. New York: McGraw Hill, 2000.
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