When a healthy diet and frequent exercise are not enough to lose stubborn body fat, and excess weight, other treatment options such as radio, thermal energy, or liposuction can help. Although they may help you get rid of a significant amount of body fat, they do very little to reduce the appearance of excess and sagging skin.
After significant weight loss, a tummy tuck can help remove this excess skin and fully complete your sculpted and toned look. Although this is a slightly more invasive surgical procedure, it can be combined during the same surgery as liposuction and successfully achieves desired aesthetic improvements.
As it is a surgery, there is a recovery period, and you will need to rest and protect your surgical site for a certain amount of time. For the first week or so, you will initially recover from the procedure as the anesthesia fully wears off, and you regain sensation. In certain procedures, you might need to have small drains left in place to reduce any discomfort from swelling.
After the first week, you should be able to begin gentle and slow movements around the house. Many patients report the highest pain or discomfort as their body gets used to the new shape and the incisions heal. There may be additional swelling, but this is temporary and will subside over time.
It may take up to 3 months to fully recover from a tummy tuck procedure. During this time, you might feel a slight pulling sensation around your abdomen as you get used to the tighter skin. Along with some numbness that might remain, this will also subside during your recovery. With proper rest and protection of your abdomen, recovery can be relatively quick and without significant pain or discomfort.
If you are considering a tummy tuck and are concerned about recovery, the expert team of doctors and staff at American Surgical Arts Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery in Mullica Hill, NJ, can answer all your questions and concerns create a recovery plan that works for you. Call the office at 856-362-8898 or visit www.americansurgicalarts.com to schedule an appointment.