Tummy Tuck Post-Op Tips and Must Haves for the First Couple Weeks

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2/6/2013

1) Renting a medical electric recliner will help the first 1-2 weeks post tummy tuck. It will stand you all the way up and is much more comfortable than a bed. A lot of people simply use a million pillows to get comfortable, but for me a bed was difficult. Being short (around 5’1) it was very hard for me to get into the bed all together, let alone to find a comfortable position. I am so thankful that I had the electric recliner the first week and not sure what I would do without it. It cost me around $150 a week (plus delivery and pick up) to rent the recliner which was TOTALLY WORTH IT. If you are having your surgery in Chicago, the only place I found that would deliver to the city was:
Medical Equipment Inc.
1804 Glenview Road, Glenview IL 60025
(847) 724-8380 or (866) 668-5775

2) Stool Softeners! If your doctor doesn’t prescribe any, make sure you get them over the counter at your local pharmacy. The directions say to take 1-3 a day, so I would take one in the evening and one at night. I made the mistake of taking one on the 8th day post – op…around day 10 I had the worst pain in my life. The pain medications make you extremely constipated and I needed to use an enema, by far the worst experience of my life. I have never felt a pain like that, I was so worried that I might have popped stitches. I started taking 3 stool softeners a day (morning mid-day and evening) after that night, and it barely helped. I added prunes to my diet (around 7 per day) and my stools are finally feeling normal. Do not forget to take stool softeners – you WILL regret it if you forget.

3) For the first week post – op, having the following items will make your recovery much easier and more comfortable:

  • Baby powder and lotion: you cannot shower for the first couple of days and you will sweat. I don’t use baby powder at all in my everyday life- but it did come in handy the first week post – op. Because you are indoors all day post op, your skin can get dry and crackly. I made the mistake of not using lotion and my skin did crack. When you are finally able to shower, make sure you lotion up afterwards!
  • Back scratcher: I recommend a wooden one. It’s these types of little things that make the first week of recovery more comfortable.
  • PJ gown that buttons down the front: I was more comfortable wearing nothing at all (except for my compression garment). But having something long to that doesn’t pull over your head is much more convenient.
  • Cortozone cream: Since you can’t shower initially, you may get a rash (I did). The pain medication also can make you itchy.
  • Neck Pillow: Sitting upright all day and night can make your neck sore and I found that having a neck pillow helps.
  • Dry Shampoo: I honestly didn’t use this (I had my mother around who helped me wash my hair), but I heard a lot of people found it helpful since they could not shower.
  • Neosporin and Q-tips: In the first couple weeks post op – you can have some seeping of fluids. I had a little spot that leaked on the left hand side. I didn’t want to touch it with my hands so I used q-tips.
  • Lip Balm: I’m not sure if it was a side effect of the pain medication, but my lips were constantly dry.
  • Grip, no slip socks: The one thing I didn’t want to imagine was slipping and falling on the floor. If you are going to walk anywhere where there isn’t carpeting, I recommend taking the precaution and wearing no-slip socks.

4) Pain medication: It is so important to stay on top of taking your pain medication post op. When I got back to the hotel (I traveled for my surgery), I took my pain medication and set my alarm for every 4 hours. I would make sure that I woke up in the middle of the night and never missed taking one. I think this is a main reason why I had such an easy recovery and barley felt any pain. When you miss taking your medication and wait until you feel pain or the pain is out of control, it takes a lot and is very difficult to get it back under control. If you are on top of taking your medication, you will have a much easier recovery. The pain medication does make you itch, constipated, and have crazy dreams. I also recommend asking your doctor for the prescription before surgery so you can get it filled and it will be ready post-op – can you imagine waiting in line for your pain medication at the pharmacy post op?

5) Hydration: I made sure that I drank a bottle of water every 2 hours after my surgery. It is so important to keep your muscles hydrated so they can heal. Being dehydrated can cause nausea and vomiting. I made the huge mistake of having one glass of wine with dinner the night before my surgery. Not only did it get me thirsty in the middle of the night (when you should not be eating or drinking anything before going under anesthesia), but after waking up from my surgery, I immediately threw up twice since I was so dehydrated. I personally am not going to drink for 2 months minimum after surgery – why risk it?

6) Laughing, Coughing and Sneezing: This can be very painful post tummy tuck. The best solution: grab a pillow (the harder the better, you don’t want anything too soft) or a folded towel and press it against your abdomen when you feel the urge coming. This will counteract the pressure and it won’t hurt. I always made sure there was something by me to grab if I needed to sneeze or cough.

7) Traveling for your surgery?: When booking your hotel room, make sure you request a handicap room. The only main difference is the bathroom. There are bars around the toilet for you to hold on to when using the bathroom (helpful) and it also comes with a handicap shower with a seat and removable shower head (very helpful). There is no way I would have been able to shower without it.

8) I weighed and measured myself immediately before going into surgery, and every day after as well. The only reason I did was to see what the fluid was doing in my body. Most people recommend not to weigh or measure yourself post – op because they don’t want you to get discouraged. You will weigh more and be larger for a while post – op, this is completely normal. I just preferred to know what the fluid was doing – if it was going down or going up. 2 days post-op, I was 8 pounds heavier. By day 8 post-op, I was the same weight as when I went in. At 3 weeks post up I weight 3 pounds less than when I went in for surgery, but I was 2-3 inches larger. At 3.5 weeks I gained 4 pounds and another 1-2 inches. The fluid will fluctuate, so keep that in mind.

9) New Injuries Post-Op: I guess it is common for old injuries to come up after having surgery. I didn’t have much pain from surgery, but after surgery I got a left frozen shoulder – this pain was unbearable. My doctor had to prescribe me heavier pain medication for my shoulder. I now have to start physical therapy. If you have had any previous injuries, it is not uncommon for them to become inflamed after any type of surgery.

When my daughter broke her nose in a high school sports accident, she was referred to a local ENT for surgery immediately. I wanted to make sure a plastic surgeon performed the surgery and spent hours trying to find a surgeon who would treat her. I knew that this was a very time sensitive injury that needed to be treated ASAP. Barb on Dr. Moradian’s team scheduled a consult with him very quickly and patiently answered all of the (many) questions I had. I was absolutely amazed that Dr. Moradian was able to schedule surgery the day following our consult. My daughter’s prom was one week after her surgery and Dr. Moradian was determined that she would be able to go and look like herself. No one could tell, one week later, than she had surgery, and she had a wonderful time!Dr. Moradian and everyone on his team were friendly, caring and empathic. They made us feel confident and comfortable with the procedure. I was also impressed with the follow-up check-ins and responsiveness when we’ve had questions after the procedure. He’s been very responsive and helpful. I feel like we hit the jackpot and couldn’t have found a better surgeon! Thank you, Dr. Moradian, for everything!

K.J. Google

Dr. Fine, his team, and all the staff at NSPS are just the best! Having to go thru a crap situation (mastectomy) I trust his process and feel at ease at every appointment/procedure. I am so thankful to be going through this with them and highly recommend. I will actually miss going to NSPS when the reconstruction process is fully complete.

M.H. Google

I went to Dr. Schierle to address my gynecomastia - which had been a lifelong issue that suddenly gone from being a purely cosmetic flaw to a much bigger overall health issue for me over the course of a year or so. The first green flag for me was this office was the first plastic surgery practice that was willing to listen to my concerns and try billing my insurance for the surgery (coverage for the procedure was approved).Dr. Schierle himself made the entire process as positive as possible. I felt that he truly listened to me, asked thoughtful questions about my goals for the surgery, was frank and open about every aspect of my procedure and what I could realistically expect, and never once made me feel judged or uncomfortable.The team and office staff have been incredible to work with. I’ve always been able to reach someone if I had a question or concern during recovery. I never have a problem getting into the office when I’ve needed to.I knew that I had made the best decision in choosing a surgeon during my second post-surgery checkup, when Dr. Schierle recommended I hold off on any scar revision treatments for at least a year. To me, this just demonstrated further that he is actually invested in his patients’ success and not just out to milk people for as much money as he can.I’m really grateful to Dr. Schierle and his team for making what was an incredibly stressful and scary ordeal into a much more manageable process. Can’t recommend them enough.

N.H. Google

Dr Fine was realistic when discussing cosmetic results. He was straightforward and provided several options. He also was honest with what he thought was the best way to proceed and very clear on what not to expect.

J.M. Google

I will continually recommend and refer my friends and family to Northwestern Plastics. I underwent a breast augmentation yesterday and feel great! My pre-operative experience was nothing but detailed, understood, and all my concerns and questions were answered by Dr. Moradian and his amazing PA, Monika. I will speak highly of the faculty because you are always warmly greeted by the front desk and Kendall makes your logistical arrangements seamless!During the day of my procedure, I felt ZERO anxiety and the experience was very pleasant and passionate from all the nurses and the anesthesiologist. Prior to going into the OR, Dr. Moradian came into the room to greet me and mark me up - this was indicative of how passionate he was because he asked me if I had any last minute questions and concerns. Another small but impactful statement he said was “I’ve studied your aesthetic wants/inspirational pictures of what you would want and know exactly what to do”. This shows me compassion, the drive to make me feel heard, to how much thought and detail he has put into this artistry.Overall, I am extremely happy and when I am healed - I will update my pictures! I am excited for my recovery journey. They are perfect already.

S.T. Google

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