The tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) plastic surgery procedure is a significant plastic surgery procedure. The tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) plastic surgery procedures that may be performed as outpatient procedures with the patient going home afterwards. However, many patients and plastic surgeons will prefer to have the patient spend the first night after the plastic surgery in a specialized medical setting, including a hospital.
If the patient goes home after the tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) plastic surgery procedure, they may have a catheter in their bladder for the post operative night and the first day afterwards. This may allow the patient to not have to get up as often to go to the bathroom. The catheter may then be removed by a visiting nurse or the patient care assistant the following day.
The plastic surgeon will typically place drains in the abdominal area to assure any light bleeding can be evacuated without need for additional surgery. The drains are usually removed seven to fourteen days after tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) plastic surgery, after they are not draining a certain amount of fluid.
The tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) plastic surgery external sutures on the abdominal area will stay in from roughly 5 days to 7 days, depending on the type of suture, its function, and its location on the body. Some plastic surgery sutures may not even have to be removed because the sutures will dissolve over time and do not leave stitch or staple marks.
One of the main things to be aware of with the tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) plastic surgery is the prolonged recovery of the tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) plastic surgery procedure. The prolonged recovery is secondary to the plastic surgery sewing of the abdominal muscles and the large amount of abdominal skin removal. The internal plastic surgery sutures are not as strong as the person muscles so it is possible that the post operative plastic surgery patient may break the plastic surgery sutures and cause the abdomen to bulge outwards. If this was to happen, the post operative plastic surgery patient would require a return to the operating room to repair and re-sew the abdominal muscles back together. In order to prevent this plastic surgery complication, the post operative tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) patient will have to take it easy for three to six weeks. The amount of time for the prolonged recovery is variable from plastic surgeon to plastic surgeon, their individual techniques and philosophies; and the post operative tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) plastic surgery patients body conditions.
The tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) plastic surgery patient may typically return to normal activity with unrestrained lifting conditions at approximately 6 to 10 weeks. This is to allow the abdominal muscles and surrounding tissues to heal.
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