Instructions after your tummy tuck surgery from Bashioum Cosmetic Surgery Center



	What can I do to reduce the pain? When can I take aspirin or ibuprofen after surgery? When can I eat after surgery? Can I drive myself home? When can I drive my car? Does someone need to stay with me after surgery? What can I do to reduce the swelling? Do I have to stay in bed after my surgery? Are there any bandages or dressings? When can I remove the foam pad dressings? How long must I were an elastic garment after surgery? Are there any stitches to take out? Will I need to have a drain? When can I shower after surgery? How long must I stay in town after surgery? How long before I can travel? When can I drink alcohol? How long must I be off work? When can I work out after tummy tuck surgery? When can I have a massage? Can I use a heating pad ? When can I suntan after surgery? How long will it take for the feeling to return to the treated areas When will I see the final result of the surgery? What should I do if I have questions? When do I come back to the office for aftercare? All of us at the Bashioum Cosmetic Surgery center are proud of the postoperative care of our patients. We want you to have the very best surgical result possible! We are here for you. If you have any questions of any kind, please call us. It is our pleasure to help you through your convalescence. It is important that you follow these aftercare instructions. They have been developed to reduce your risk of complications and they will help with the postoperative healing. Working together we will succeed in our goal for you! What can I do to reduce the pain? All patients experience some pain after surgery. Ten percent of patients take only plain acetaminophen (i.e. Tylenol) for pain. Begin by taking only plain acetaminophen elixir (liquid) for pain as soon as possible after surgery. If this is not sufficient to control your pain, begin taking the prescribed pain pills. These may make you sick to your stomach. Generally, patients begin switching to acetaminophen three to five days after tummy tuck surgery. When can I take aspirin or ibuprofen after surgery? Do not take aspirin or ibuprofen containing products (Advil, Alka-Seltzer, Anacin, Ascriptin, Bayer Aspirin, BC, Bufferin, Cheracol Capsules, Cope, Coricidin, Darvon Compound, Dristan, Empirin or Empirin Compound, Excedrin, Fiorinol, Midol, Motrin, Percodan, Pepto-Bismol, Sine-Aid, Sine-Off, Stendin, Triminicin, Vanquish) for two days after your surgery. When can I eat after surgery? Drink only liquids for the first few hours after surgery. Advance slowly to small, light meals. If you experience nausea or vomiting more than two times, please call me so I can prescribe something to reduce this. Can I drive myself home? You may not drive yourself home after surgery. The pain medicines and the anesthesia drugs interfere with your good judgement and coordination. When can I drive my car? Do not do anything that requires mental or physical coordination for 48 hours or for as long as you are taking prescription pain pills. This includes driving a car, truck, tractor, or operating machinery, power tools, appliances, or machinery. The pain medicines and the anesthesia drugs interfere with your good judgement and coordination. Does someone need to stay with me after surgery? You must have an adult (older than 18 years old) take you home and remain with you continuously for 24 hours after your surgery. Although rare, emergencies do occur. You need to have an adult with you in the event that you need help. You must have help to the bathroom the first few times in case you experience dizziness or lightheadedness. What can I do to reduce the swelling? Swelling is a normal part of tummy tuck surgery. Swelling will involve the treated areas and the surrounding tissues as well. It can even extend onto your whole body as a result of fluid retention. This will all pass with time. Wearing the pressure garments as directed will minimize the swelling. Do I have to stay in bed after my surgery? Gently get out of bed as soon as possible after your surgery. When you get up, sit with your legs hanging over the edge of the bed or chair for a few minutes before standing. This will help avoid problems with dizziness, light-headedness, and fainting. Have an adult assist you the bathroom the first few times. Always get out of bed to go to the bathroom. Begin to walk as much as possible as soon as you can after surgery. Do take it easy the first few days. Do not exert yourself in any strenuous activity. A balance of rest and reduced activity will speed up your recovery. Are there any bandages or dressings? There are clear plastic dressings placed at the time of surgery to eliminate drainage. They sometimes loosen when the foam padding is removed. If they come off, it is necessary to replace them in my office. When can I remove the foam pad dressings? Foam padding is placed on all the areas treated. This is then covered with an elastic garment. The combination reduces swelling and bruising dramatically. You will remove the foam padding two days after tummy tuck surgery. First remove the elastic garment. Carefully peel the foam padding away from your skin by pushing the skin away from the padding. Take your time! Once this is removed, you may take a shower. Replace the elastic garment after your shower. How long must I were an elastic garment after surgery? The elastic garment is placed over by the foam pad dressings to reduce the swelling and bruising. You will wear some form of elastic garment covering all the treated areas for two weeks. If you prefer, you can switch to an alternate garment (Body Contours, bicycle shorts, or ace wraps) once the foam padding has been removed. Are there any stitches to take out? No. I only use stitches that will be absorbed or wash out. I do this to eliminate the discomfort of suture removal after surgery. Will I need to have a drain? A drain is a tube placed beneath the skin to remove fluid that can collect after surgery. Tummy tuck surgery is prone to collections of this fluid. A single drain is placed to remove this fluid for seven to ten days. It is removed during one of your aftercare visits. Do not take a bath or swim until the drain has been removed. Empty the drain as instructed by opening the reservoir cap and squeezing out all the fluid and air. Replace the cap immediately while you are still squeezing. Try to keep the bulb as flat as possible at all times. When can I shower after surgery? Until the foam padding is removed (two days), take sponge baths. You may shower after the foam padding has been removed. You may use the antibacterial soap that you used before your surgery. Gently wash the treated areas. Do not take a bath or swim until the drain is removed. How long must I stay in town after surgery? If you live further than a one hour drive, you must stay in the area for one or two nights. How long before I can travel? Traveling long distances or for long periods of time can be problematic after surgery. Generally, I do not recommend traveling longer than one hour for one week after surgery. When you do travel you must have help with your baggage and you must get out of your seat and walk for five minutes every hour. Remember, even small vibrations during travel can increase the amount of pain that you experience. Finally, you will not have the same energy level as you did immediately before your surgery. When can I drink alcohol? Do not consume any alcoholic drinks (including beer and wine) for 48 hours after surgery. In addition, do not have any alcoholic drinks while you are taking the prescription pain pills. The alcohol can interact with these medicines and lead to serious health problems and death. Finally, drink alcohol in moderation for three weeks. Excessive consumption can lead to a fall that could ruin the results of the surgery. How long must I be off work? How long you are off work depends on your occupation. If you do clerical work (i.e. stockbroker, teacher, or programmer), you can return to work in about a week. If you do manual labor (i.e. entertainer, truck driver, or trainer), you must be off work for three weeks. When can I work out after tummy tuck surgery? Generally, you can go back to working out two weeks after tummy tuck surgery. This depends on how you feel. Avoid contact sports for six weeks. Workouts must stop if you experience discomfort in the your abdomen or hips. A balance of rest and reduced activity will speed up your recovery. When can I have a massage? Body massage is very effective in relaxation. However, it cannot be done while there is bruising of the skin due to the risk of long term or permanent brown-gray staining of the skin. All therapeutic massage treatments must be discontinued until any bruising has completely resolved. Massage can hasten the final healing process but it will not improve the result. Can I use a heating pad? Do not use a heating pad for a full six months after your surgery. It is will not be possible for you to judge the temperature of the skin. This can lead to burns and terrible scarring. When can I suntan after surgery? Sun tanning damages your skin. It leads to wrinkling, discoloration, and superficial growths. It can also lead to serious skin cancer. For these reasons, I recommend that you use sun block with an SPF number of 15 or greater at all times. A physical broad-spectrum sun block works best. If you are exposed to the sun, I recommend that you protect treated areas for six weeks with clothing such as a T-shirt or pareo. You must be careful to protect any scars from sun exposure with clothing, tape, or sun block for six months. Better yet, stay in the shade where it's cooler! How long will it take for the feeling to the treated areas? It is normal for the treated areas to be swollen, tender, and numb for the first six weeks. Some of the numbness can linger for six months. When will I see the final result of the surgery? Scar healing takes six months to a year. For this reason, you will not see the final result of your surgery for six months. During this time you will notice that the scars will lighten in color, they will become softer to the touch, and the final swelling will pass. What should I do if I have questions? I care about you and your concerns very much. Please call me at any time you have any questions about your tummy tuck. Call if you have any excessive swelling, bleeding, soreness, fever, chills redness, or unusual wound drainage. It is particularly important if symptoms are present in only one area. During office hours (8:30AM to 4:30PM, Monday through Friday), call 952.449.4900 and we will answer your questions. After hours, first call me at my home number, 952.473.XXXX. If there is no answer, call my office at 952.449.4900 and leave a message. I will be paged. You may also reach me on my mobile phone at 612.803.XXXX When do I come back to the office for aftercare? Please call the office between 8:30AM and 4:30PM during the workweek to make an arrangements for me to see you one week after your surgery. Please call for appointments for follow up visits at six weeks, six months, and twelve months. The reason for this extended care is because it takes six months to one year for complete healing to occur. It would be my pleasure to see you at any time to answer any questions about your tummy tuck surgery or any other cosmetic surgery that you read or hear about. There are no charges for any of your aftercare office visits. © Copyright 1998 Bashioum Cosmetic Surgery Center, Ltd. All Rights Reserved.