When you’re uncomfortable with having a bit of extra fat or loose skin around your belly, a tummy tuck is an excellent way to get the trim, toned stomach you dream of having. By repairing stretched muscles and removing excess skin, a plastic surgeon can help you reclaim your pre-baby body or improve your appearance after major weight loss. However, you want to make sure you get the best results from your tummy tuck to avoid lumps, ripples, wrinkles, or unevenness and heal properly. To help you, Dr. Ortiz, a renowned plastic surgeon in Raleigh, is sharing how to avoid those complications and get the smooth, slim physique you want.
Achieve Your Goal Weight Before Tummy Tuck Surgery
A tummy tuck is an excellent way to remove the loose skin and fat deposits that you may have after losing weight. You may even want to get the tummy tuck to celebrate a milestone, even if you haven’t reached your ideal or goal weight. However, losing more weight (over 15 to 20 pounds) after having a tummy tuck can cause additional issues with loose skin or other complications that would negatively affect your results.
Make sure you’re close to your ideal or target weight before you get your tummy tuck and you’ll have more accurate, improved results.
Don’t Use Nicotine or Alcohol
Using nicotine, including cigarettes, vaping, or even nicotine gum or the patch, prevents oxygenated blood from properly reaching certain areas and this can prevent proper healing. It’s important to stop using nicotine for six weeks before and after the procedure to prevent any complications from occurring.
Using alcohol around a tummy tuck is less strict, but you’ll still want to avoid drinking for a few days before and for your recovery period. It can thin your blood and slow down healing, plus it can interact with pain relievers causing you more discomfort than is necessary.
Add Movement After a Tummy Tuck
Following surgery, it’s normal to experience fatigue and discomfort, so you’ll want to rest. However, it’s important to get up and moving to get blood flowing properly in order to prevent blood clots and promote proper healing. This simply means walking around your home at regular intervals for the first few days followed by light walking outside for a bit of a longer period. Dr. Ortiz will discuss the proper amount of exercise and movement that will help you achieve the best results for your healing.
Avoid Lifting or Strenuous Activities
While movement is important, it’s just as important to avoid overdoing it. You should plan to take time off work and avoid lifting anything over five pounds, standing for a prolonged period of time, or straining yourself in any way. This also includes exercise (beyond light walking), lifting children, or doing household chores. As we mentioned, Dr. Ortiz will provide a personalized description of your post-op limitations to ensure you heal properly.
Select a Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon for Your Tummy Tuck
The most important thing you can do to ensure you get excellent results from your tummy tuck is to choose an experienced, board-certified plastic surgeon. Do your due diligence to check their credentials and reviews, and ask to see examples of their work. A good plastic surgeon will be happy to share their work and answer any questions you may have.
Schedule a Tummy Tuck Consultation Today
If you are self-conscious about your mid-section and dream of showing off a toned, trim tummy, Dr. Ortiz can help. He is an experienced, board-certified plastic surgeon who has helped countless clients improve their satisfaction with how they look and feel. To schedule a consultation, reach out to our plastic surgery center in Raleigh today at (919)532-2270 or fill out the form below to get started.
