- Main doubts after abdominoplasty
- 1. How to sleep
- 2. Best walking position
- 3. When to shower
- 4. When to remove the compression strap and stockings
- 5. How to relieve pain
- 6. When changing the dressing and removing the stitches
- 7. When to exercise
- 8. How should the food be
- When to go to the doctor
The postoperative period of abdominoplasty requires a lot of rest during the first 10 days and the total recovery takes about 2 months. However, some people do abdominoplasty and liposuction of the abdomen or mammoplasty at the same time, making recovery a little more time-consuming and painful.
After discharge from the clinic, day-to-day activities can be resumed gradually as long as they do not cause pain or discomfort. However, it is important to take some precautions such as sleeping on your back, walking with your torso curved and not removing the brace until the doctor tells you to, in order to avoid possible complications, such as opening the stitches or infection.
Main doubts after abdominoplasty
After the surgery it is normal to stay in the clinic for about 2 to 4 days and, usually, after the surgery it is necessary to use:
- Drain, which is a container to drain blood and fluids accumulated in the body, usually removed before discharge. However, in case you are discharged and take the drain home, here's how to handle the drain. Modeling belt, to protect the belly and prevent the accumulation of liquid, which must remain for 1 week without removing; Compression stockings to prevent clots and which should only be removed for bathing.
In addition, the abdominoplasty postoperative period requires special care with posture, food, dressing and physical activity.
1. How to sleep
After surgery on the abdomen, it is essential to sleep on your back, lying back and with your legs bent, avoiding sleeping on your side or on your stomach, so as not to press the abdomen or hurt the scar.
If you have an articulated bed at home, you should raise the trunk and legs, however, in a normal bed you can place semi-stiff pillows on the back, helping to raise the trunk, and under the knees, to lift the legs. You should maintain this position for at least 15 days or until you are no longer uncomfortable.
2. Best walking position
When walking, you should bend your torso, bending your back and placing your hands on your belly as if you are holding it, as this position provides greater comfort and relieves pain, and must be maintained for the first 15 days or until you stop. feel pain.
In addition, when sitting, one should choose a chair, avoiding the seats, leaning fully and resting your feet on the floor.
3. When to shower
After plastic surgery, a modeling brace is placed, which should never be removed for 8 days, so during this period you cannot bathe in the shower.
However, to maintain minimal hygiene, you can wash the body partially with a sponge, asking for the help of a family member to make no effort.
4. When to remove the compression strap and stockings
The brace cannot be removed for about 8 days, not even to bathe or sleep, as it is placed to compress the abdomen, provide comfort, facilitate movements, avoiding complications such as seroma, which is the accumulation of liquid next to the scar.
After a week, you can already take off the brace to bathe or do the scar treatment, putting it back on and using it during the day, for at least 45 days after the abdominoplasty.
Compression socks should only be removed when normal walking and movement is resumed, which usually happens when resuming day-to-day activities.
5. How to relieve pain
After abdominoplasty, it is normal to feel pain in the belly due to surgery and back pain, as you spend a few days always lying in the same position.
To relieve pain in the abdomen, it is essential to take the medications prescribed by the doctor, such as Paracetamol, fulfilling the indicated amounts and hours. At the time of evacuating the pain may increase and, therefore, to facilitate trips to the bathroom, one can take supplements based on fibers, such as Benefiber.
In addition, to treat back pain, you can ask a family member to have a massage with a relaxing cream or to put on warm water rags to relieve tension.
6. When changing the dressing and removing the stitches
The dressing should be changed according to the doctor's recommendation, which is usually at the end of 4 days, but the stitches are only removed after 8 days by the doctor who performed the surgery.
However, if the dressing is stained with blood or yellow liquid, you should go to the doctor before the indicated day.
7. When to exercise
Exercise is very important to prevent clots from forming, so it is recommended to move your legs and feet every 2 hours, in addition to massaging your legs in the morning and evening. If you can walk without pain, you should walk several times a day, slowly, with comfortable clothes and wearing sneakers.
However, returning to the gym should only be done 1 month after the surgery, starting with walking, cycling or swimming. Bodybuilding or abdominal exercises are only released after 2 to 3 months, or when no pain or discomfort is felt.
8. How should the food be
After plastic surgery on the abdomen, you should:
- 4 hours without eating or drinking to avoid nausea and vomiting, as the effort to vomit can open the scar; 5 hours after the surgery you can eat toast or bread and drink tea, if you have not vomited; 8 hours after the surgery you can eat broth, strained soup, drink tea and bread.
The day after the surgery, a light diet should be maintained, choosing cooked or grilled foods without sauces or condiments.
In addition, it is essential to drink a lot of water or tea and eat fruits and vegetables to avoid constipation which increases the pain in the abdomen.
When to go to the doctor
It is advisable to consult the doctor or to go to the emergency room when it appears:
- Difficulty breathing; Fever higher than 38ºC; Pain that does not go away with the analgesics indicated by the doctor; Blood stains or other liquid in the dressing; Intense pain in the scar or foul smell; Signs of infection such as hot, swollen, red and painful region; Excessive tiredness.
In these cases it is important to consult the doctor, as an infection in the scar, a pulmonary embolism or anemia may be developing, for example, and it may be necessary to start treatment for the problem.
In addition, in the first months after abdominoplasty, it may be necessary to resort to other aesthetic treatments, such as lipocavitation or liposuction to improve the results, if any imperfections remain.
