Your abdominoplasty recovery will be a process that requires patience, care, and a good understanding of what to expect as your body heals.
An abdominoplasty will typically remove excess skin and fat, as well as address abdominal muscles. While every patient’s experience will differ based on factors like the extent of their personalised surgery, their overall health and the specifics of their procedure, a general guide can help to provide a clearer picture of what recovery may involve.
What you can expect during the earlier days of your abdominoplasty recovery
Soon after your abdominoplasty, your body will be in the early stages of the healing process. During this time, your body will focus on repairing the incisions and adjusting to the internal changes that were made during your procedure. So, it’s common to feel tired and to experience some swelling or discomfort in the abdominal area.
To help you feel more comfortable, your surgeon will provide you with advice on managing discomfort and reducing swelling. Often, you’ll need to wear a compression garment after an abdominoplasty, which helps to reduce swelling and can sometimes aid in comfort levels, as well.
Within the first few days after your procedure, it’s natural that movement will be somewhat limited. Activities that involve bending, stretching, or twisting should be avoided to protect the abdominal muscles and incisions. While rest is important, gentle walking, even if just a few steps at a time, is encouraged early on. Gentle movement helps to improve blood flow, and can reduce the risk of experiencing complications like blood clots.
At this stage, it’s also extremely important to avoid heavy lifting and strenuous exercise. While you likely will naturally want to focus on rest, some patients may feel tempted to lift heavy objects too soon, which can put unnecessary strain on the abdomen and could lead to complications. As well as avoiding these activities, you should also avoid smoking during your abdominoplasty recovery.
Early in your recovery, you’ll need to follow your surgeon’s advice on caring for incision sites, making adjustments to your daily routine and making changes to medications or supplements. You’ll likely need to take some time off work, and the amount of time will depend on the physical demands of your job, which should be discussed during your consultation.
The following weeks of your recovery: As your body heals
As you move further into your abdominoplasty recovery, you’ll likely start noticing some gradual improvements in how you feel. Swelling may begin to decrease, and your energy levels might start to return.
During the first two to three weeks, your focus should still be on rest and light activity only. We recommend to avoid lifting heavy objects, and be mindful of movements that can put strain on the abdomen.
Your surgeon will likely schedule a follow-up appointment during this period to check on your progress and ensure that everything is healing as expected. Your follow-up appointment is a good time to discuss any concerns or ask any questions you may have about the next steps in your recovery.
By around the third or fourth week, while you may feel ready to resume some aspects of your normal routine, it’s important to do so gradually. The internal healing process is still ongoing, and rushing back into daily activities too quickly can interfere with your body’s recovery process.
Light activities, such as walking or simple household tasks, may feel more manageable during this stage. However, it will still be highly important to avoid heavy lifting or any exercises that put pressure on the abdominal area.
By around six weeks, depending on how well you are healing, your surgeon may give you clearance to begin introducing slightly more strenuous activities. You’ll still need to do this slowly and carefully, and typically avoid more core-specific exercises until you’re further along in your recovery.
As the weeks progress, your overall comfort levels should improve, and you should begin to see the results of your procedure clearer as swelling subsides. However, some level of swelling can still persist for months after your procedure, although your initial recovery process should be relatively complete. Wearing your compression garment as directed can help to reduce swelling and support the underlying tissues as they heal.
You should still follow advice on wound care, medications and supplements, and when you can return to work or your normal daily routine.
By the later stages of your recovery
As your abdominoplasty recovery continues, you’ll begin transitioning from the immediate healing phase to maintaining your results over the longer term. This stage often involves gradually reintroducing more of your usual routines, including exercise and work, while still taking precautions to ensure that you don’t push your body too quickly.
Even as swelling continues to decrease, it’s important to stay consistent with wearing your compression garment as directed. The added support helps to reduce any residual swelling and provides stability to the abdominal area while the tissues continue to heal and completely settle.
Maintaining a healthy diet and staying hydrated can help support your body’s recovery in the longer run. Eating a healthy and balanced diet can help with tissue repair and your body’s overall energy levels. It’s also important to still avoid habits like smoking, as this can impair the healing process and impact your long-term results.
Scarring management: What to keep in mind
Scars are a natural part of the recovery process, and their appearance will typically naturally change over time. Straight after surgery, your incisions may appear more prominent, but as healing progresses, they should gradually fade. Good scar care can help to reduce the appearance of scars in the longer run.
Once your incisions have healed, your surgeon may recommend using silicone sheets, gels, or other scar management products to encourage scar healing. Protecting your incisions from direct sun exposure will also be an important step, as UV rays can darken scars and make them more noticeable over time. Applying sunscreen over the area once healed, or keeping the area covered with clothing can help to protect the skin as it continues to recover.
If you do end up with more noticeable scarring after your recovery period, you may then decide to have additional scar-reducing treatments, like non-invasive cosmetic skin treatments. However, you’ll always need to wait until your incisions have completely healed and until enough time has passed after your surgery before having skin treatments in the area.
Post-operative care after your initial abdominoplasty recovery
Your post-operative care doesn’t end once your initial recovery is complete. Attending regular follow-up appointments with your surgeon will allow them to monitor your progress, as well as provide you with an opportunity to ask any questions that may arise as you transition back into your normal daily routine.
Once you’ve fully recovered, maintaining the results of your abdominoplasty will also depend on your lifestyle habits. Staying active, eating well, and maintaining a stable weight can largely help to preserve the results of your procedure.
Schedule your abdominoplasty consultation with Brisbane-Based Specialist Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon Dr Perron
Dr Justin Perron is a Specialist Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon with experience in performing abdominoplasty procedures.
Dr Perron focuses on providing a comfortable environment with high patient care, personalising each procedure to meet each patient’s individual needs in terms of health and expectations.
To organise your consultation with Dr Perron in Brisbane, please get in touch with our team.
