Even individuals of otherwise normal body weight and proportion can develop an abdomen that protrudes or is loose and sagging. The most common causes of this include pregnancy, significant weight gain or loss, prior surgeries, aging, and heredity.

Plan to take a few days to a week off to begin recovering from tummy tuck surgery. For the first week you will need help caring for yourself. You’ll need to avoid strenuous movement or exercise for four to six weeks, and you’ll wear a compression garment during most of that time. Our patients who have had tummy tucks and mommy makeovers have reported that these challenges were definitely worth it.

As you recover, the tightening of your abdominal muscles causes the majority of the discomfort, which will be moderate during the first few days and reduce to mild thereafter. You will be prescribed pain medication to address any post-operative pain, but many patients find that Tylenol will address most discomfort.

Keep in mind that a tummy tuck is major surgery, and you must be ready to make the commitment to your recovery. I will arm you with all the facts during your thorough consultation, so you can make an informed decision and care plan.

Because we make an incision or multiple incisions during a tummy tuck procedure, there will be scarring. In many cases, the incision is placed low enough to be hidden by most typical jeans or bikinis. If you have a mommy makeover, there will be additional scars from the breast procedure. It’s always something I ask my patients to consider — the final result at the expense of scarring. This is a personal decision that only you can make, but I will give you a realistic idea of what type of scarring you can expect based on your specific treatment plan.