PLASTIC SURGEON CHICAGO & North West INDIANA

The answer is yes! A full tummy tuck will remove the majority of the stretch marks on your belly.
A tummy tuck will NOT remove stretch marks that are above your belly button. But stretch marks below the belly button (where the majority of stretch marks occur) should all be included in the skin that is removed from your belly during your tummy tuck.

So in other words, a full tummy tuck gets rid of most or all stretch marks, but if you have any above the belly button, those will remain after surgery.

Most patients feel good enough to return to work after 3-5 days out from a breast augmentation. That being said, I always recommend taking a full week off work if at all possible. It’s just a good idea to be able to really rest and relax after surgery and concentrate on eating well and avoiding too much exertion during that first 5-7 days.

If you are traveling for your breast augmentation surgery, be sure to speak with your surgeon to determine their requirements. My rule is that anyone who travels to me for surgery out of state MUST stay in town for a minimum of 1 week. I will want to see my patient a few times after surgery, and I certainly will need to see the patient at the 1 week point before clearing a flight back home. In my opinion, staying close to home for any elective cosmetic surgery is always the safest and best idea. Having access to your surgeon is very important in the postoperative period, especially if a complication occurs.

In my practice, I counsel my patients that a full recovery from a tummy tuck takes about 6 weeks. But I stress the fact that this does not mean that you are bedridden and unable to function for those 6 weeks.

My typical breakdown with a patient is very simple. During week 1 after a tummy tuck, you will need to be off work and taking it easy. You will need to walk bent forward at the waist for about 2-3 days. Your own body will naturally relax and allow you stand up straight or lay flat during this time. You do NOT need to walk bent forward for weeks on end like many patients are told. During this first week you will need to manage your drains (I place 2 of them) and focus on resting, eating good proteins, and drinking plenty of fluids. Sleep in a recliner or with your head and back propped up on pillows. Be sure to walk around the house or around the block to keep the blood circulating in those legs.

During weeks 2-6 we slowly ramp you back up to normal activity. The drains are usually out by day 7. During week 2 I allow my patients to start using a treadmill or elliptical at a slow, walking pace. No sweating or getting dirty while the wounds heal! You see the trend — so during week 3/4/5 you can get more and more active.

I do not allow abdominal exercises (sit ups, crunches) until week 8. We need to allow that muscle plication to heal up nicely.

Patients are typically ready for the beach or bathing suits by week 6, but remember it takes 2-3 months to really see final results, no matter what anyone tells you. Wearing a compression garment after week 1 will significantly help you with postoperative swelling. You may feel some tugs or pulling during this time. As long as it is isolated and not constant and extremely painful, this is normal. Eventually everything will settle and look awesome!

For many surgeons (myself included), a tummy tuck and Brazilian Butt Lift can be done at the same time. Some surgeons are against this combination because they think it is impossible to avoid putting pressure on either the buttocks or belly when you sleep, but this is not true. You can either lay down on your sides to avoid pressure or you can lay on your back with pillows under your back and thighs, which will elevate your buttocks off the bed.

If you do not want to tackle both procedures at once, then you should wait 3-6 months between procedures to allow the first one to heal appropriately. However, if you are truly interested in a BBL, then make sure you speak with your Plastic Surgeon about the amount of fat you have on your abdomen that he or she will need to use to transfer into your buttocks. If you have a tummy tuck first and most of this skin and fat is removed, then you will certainly decrease the amount of fat available for transfer into your buttocks during the BBL.

Following all of your surgeon’s instructions is very important to get the best cosmetic results after a tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) and liposuction.

Don’t overthink things too much. As long as your weight was stable prior to surgery and you weren’t actively losing any weight, you should be in a good place in terms of nutrition during your recovery. I don’t typically assign a specific number as far as calories that my patients must consume after tummy tuck and liposuction surgery. A better way of looking at your nutrition right now is to make sure you are eating 3 good meals a day that are full of good protein (chicken, lean meat), healthy fat (such as nuts like almonds), and some carbohydrates. Don’t be afraid to snack a few times each day. Colorful vegetables are good to make sure you get your vitamins and minerals, and it is OK to take a multivitamin. Good nutrition = good wound healing and better looking scars.

Don’t worry about the scale, you are correct that your weight might fluctuate a bit in the months following your surgery. But I would be concerned if you were consistently LOSING weight after surgery, so it is perfectly fine to check your weight every week or two.