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The life-changing benefits of a tummy tuck procedure make the accommodations you must make during your recovery well worth your time investment. This is even despite the fact that, due to the nature of the incision, you will have a few more restrictions on your activities and movement while you heal than you would with another cosmetic surgery. But the slimmer, more-toned physique that will, in a very short period of time, allow you to wear form-fitting clothes with comfort, ease and confidence — and even clothes that reveal your midriff — will entirely transform your view of yourself and your life.
Regardless of the circumstances that brought you to this surgery, you can applaud your bravery, and you will soon be enjoying the wonderful results. With the proper aftercare instructions, which will be provided to you by your surgical team at Advanced Aesthetics, you can have a healthy and speedy recovery that will ensure your results match and even exceed your expectations. While you will receive detailed aftercare guidelines directly from your surgeon, here are some tips and suggestions that you can use to help you begin your preparations so that when your surgery date arrives, you will feel more than prepared.
A healthy, safe and speedy recovery begins with a well-prepared home
To recover quickly and safely, you will want to minimize any unnecessary activities at home as much as possible immediately after your surgery. The easiest way to accomplish this is to stock your home with everything you will need for your recovery prior to your surgery. Items that you should have handy include your prescribed pain medications, foods which require little preparation, clean bandages to replace those on your person, as well as pillows and towels to help make you as comfortable as possible while resting. It’s not enough to have these items on hand; they should be readily accessible so that, in the event that a friend or loved one can’t help you retrieve them, you can easily get them yourself. You’ll also want to have entertainment items available as well, including new or favorite books, movies or your smartphone loaded with all of the above! Your comfort isn’t trivial; the peace of mind you’ll have when you don’t have anything to worry about but resting and healing will have a direct impact on the quality of your recovery.
While having the proper items on hand can make a huge difference in getting through each day, you may need to do more to make your time at home more manageable. For example, you may need to plan for your children’s school pick-ups, drop-offs and playdates or your pet’s daily walks and meals, which could involve bending down, a difficulty for this stage of recovery. If you have other household responsibilities that also include bending, lifting or twisting motions, consider how those can be handled during your first two weeks of recovery. Perhaps a friend can stop by and take care of these needs for your or a neighbor. Also, think of whom you can call — and inform them ahead of time — if you have an urgent need that you realize you won’t be able to accomplish on your own. You can always return the favor once you have fully healed.
You’ll Need at Least two Weeks off From Work For the safest possible recovery, you should plan on taking about two weeks off from work, with the most sensitive time at home being the first week after surgery. Prior to surgery, you may not have thought much about how often you use your abdominals or engage your core in routine and day-to-day activities, even something as simple as reaching into a cabinet and grabbing a coffee mug. You must ensure you protect this area, however, to keep pain to a minimum — painkillers will help with this, of course — but you will also want to protect your incisions and sutures from any unnecessary strain that could affect your results.
Being careful during this time is critical for your own safety as well as your loved ones. For example, you should not drive during this phase of your recovery under any circumstances. By the second week, however, you will already begin to feel much better and can return to lighter activities more readily, and you will continue to build strength and mobility with each passing day. In fact, by the second week, your biggest challenge may be the temptation to do more than your body is ready for because you feel so much better — but don’t give in to this temptation. Continue to rest, relax and give your body the time it needs. You now have a good idea of what not to do, but what exactly should you do at home to enhance your recovery?
For a healthy and speedy recovery, follow your aftercare instructions!
It’s very likely that you won’t have very many questions or concerns during your recovery because your surgeons at Advanced Aesthetics will have given you a highly detailed and personalized set of aftercare instructions which will cover all aspects of your wound care, medications, follow-ups and potential complications. You’ll find that these instructions address all of the most common post-operative concerns as well as many that you might not even have considered yet.
Your surgical team has performed tummy tuck procedures countless times for patients just like yourself, and we consider your recovery as critical a part of a successful procedure as your surgery and will ensure you head home well prepared for any eventuality. Your aftercare instructions will also be informed by your surgeon’s years of experience guiding patients through their recovery, which gives him tremendous insights on the healing process that will directly benefit you. But what if you still have questions?
Your surgeon is your lifeline — rely on him!
After yourself, no one has your best interests more at heart than your surgeon. It is not only your surgeon’s duty to do no harm, but it is also a matter of professional and personal pride to produce results for you that meet or exceed your expectations. To ensure your safety, health and satisfaction, your surgeon will remain available to you to answer any and all questions — big or small — throughout your recovery, and in the event he is unavailable (for example, he is performing another surgery) he will ensure that someone in his office is available to assist you or will return your call promptly.
Even if you have no complications, you will still have ample opportunities to meet with and discuss any concerns with your surgeon through routine, scheduled follow-ups, which will be calendared immediately prior to your surgery. Your surgeon will welcome every question and concern you have without exception; this is one of the hallmarks of a qualified surgeon and likely one of the reasons you selected an Advanced Aesthetics surgeon during your consultation process. You should feel informed and supported throughout your surgery process, and that includes during your recovery and even afterward. The surgeons at Advanced Aesthetics would like you always to feel welcome and become a patient for life.
Regardless of which procedure you have, Advanced Aesthetics will support you every step of the way Advanced Aesthetics has served Atlanta area residents for over 25 years in all aspects of their cosmetic needs. Our caring surgical staff has a deep concern for our patient’s wellbeing that extends far beyond a single procedure. Our surgeon’s goals always include the grace, ease and confidence that looking your best provides. Everyone deserves to get up in the morning looking and feeling their absolute best; it’s a quality that improves not only the lives of our patients but also those of their friends and loved ones.
We at Advanced Aesthetics would love to be a key part of your transformation journey. You can call us today at (404) 917-8702 to schedule your in-person consultation. We wish you good health!
