How Can I Improve My Tummy Tuck Recovery?

Posted August 22, 2019 in Tummy Tuck

The recovery process for any surgical procedure can be arduous, but it can feel even worse when it is your core that is doing the healing. Your abdomen is at the center of everything that you do, and, when it is in pain, even the smallest tasks can be more challenging.

While you cannot eliminate or fast-forward through your tummy tuck recovery, you can take actions to help ensure a smooth and relatively pain-free process.

Get Your Rest…

Even though you were asleep for your tummy tuck, your body is working harder than it would after an extreme workout. Because of this, you need your rest. 

Relaxing is essential following any surgery, especially one as invasive as a tummy tuck. The more you over-exert yourself, the longer your recovery period is likely to be, and the more at-risk you are for developing post-surgical complications like infection and delayed wound healing. 

Your recovery is not a vacation (since your body will be working tirelessly); however, you should utilize this time to indulge in some much needed and deserved rest.

…But Not Too Much

Even though you need to be sure that you take the necessary time to relax, you cannot stay in bed the entire time sleeping or binging your favorite show.

You need to get on your feet. You need to move.

This can mean taking easy walks around the house (start by walking across flat spaces from room to room, slowly incorporating steps and hills) or lightly stretching your limbs and abdominal area.

The most important thing is to find a balance between enough and too much movement. You need to be active for circulation and blood flow (which will reduce inflammation and speed up healing), but you cannot move around too much and risk further damage. 

Listen to your body; it will know what the proper amount of exertion should be. 

Consider Your Diet

When recovering from surgery, your post-operative diet can either help or hurt you. While your diet is always essential for your health, it takes on an even more important role when your body’s working overtime to repair itself.

Nutrient-enriched foods such as fish (salmon, herring, and sardines), berries (blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries), vegetables (broccoli, kale, brussels sprouts, mushrooms, and sweet potatoes), and avocados are all beneficial to have in your diet because they reduce inflammation and allow you to heal quicker. 

Protein-powered foods like poultry, eggs, seafood, and some dairy will help build and repair damaged tissue. This will also help to speed the healing process.

Drinking water and herbal teas will help keep your tissues hydrated and help prevent surgical complications like blood clots. Water will help push unnecessary and unwanted toxins from the body.

Take Your Time

Many tummy tuck patients want to jump right back into the swing of things as soon as possible, even if it means going to the gym.

Unfortunately, even though exercise and physical activity are essential to maintaining your tummy tuck results, you do not want to return to those more extensive practices too soon. 

Strenuous exercise puts you at a heightened risk for wound injury, and this could lengthen your recovery time and impact the aesthetic appearance of your tummy tuck scar.

While you will eventually want to maintain an exercise program, it is best to break yourself away from the rigors of this and take some time to relax. Traditionally, most patients are cleared to resume physical activity (and even strenuous exercise) after six weeks.

To learn more about the tummy tuck procedure, contact Dr. Grazer by calling (949) 644-1240 or by filling out our online contact form.