A tummy tuck is a major surgical procedure that involves making a big incision along your lower abdomen to remove excess skin and tighten up the stomach muscles. As with other major surgeries, a tummy tuck will result in you having a big scar across the lower part of your tummy.
The scar from a tummy tuck surgery normally runs from hip to hip while dipping towards the upper pubic area in the middle of your abdomen. There are uncommon tummy tucks that will also leave you with a scar that can run from your pelvic area to your chest area. Since the scars are permanent, the surgeon will normally perform the tummy tuck incisions below the bikini line so that the scar can be easily hidden. Keep in mind that the initial months after a tummy tuck surgery would display scars that look quite bad. As your body heals, the scar will get better. The full healing process can take up to a year. Even after having completely healed, some scarring would still be visible. The visibility will depend on how well your skin heals.
After surgery, you will most likely be bedridden for a couple of days. A drainage system will be placed into your body to remove fluid build-ups that occur. Once the fluids dry up, the drainage will be removed. As soon as you are able to, you should attempt to get out of bed gently and take a few steps a few times a day. This mild exercise will help you heal faster and keep your blood circulation going. Don?t expect to be able to stand up straight for couple of days due to the pain of the wound. Staying bent until most of the pain has gone away will keep your wound from bleeding. Avoid lifting heavy objects as well as this activity will put some stress on you wounded stomach muscles.
It is a good idea to invest in some loose clothing while recovering from a tummy tuck surgery. Loose fitting pants or one-piece dresses would present you with more comfort as they will not be putting pressure on your wound.
