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Four Medical Benefits of a Tummy Tuck

A flat tummy and tight abs are the by far most appealing benefits of a tummy tuck, but there are other perks to this procedure that you might want to discover. We all know this cosmetic intervention removes the excess skin and fat on your belly to obtain a slim and toned figure, but are you aware of the health benefits of a tummy tuck?

Besides improving your appearance, our board-certified surgeon Dr. Tim Sayed, MD, can contribute to your overall well-being with a tummy tuck. Find out how as we share 4 of the main medical benefits of this popular procedure!

1. Reduces Stress Urinary Incontinence

Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is a bladder control issue that usually affects women that have given vaginal birth. Patients with this condition have too much pressure on their bladder and urethra, so any sudden pressure shift that might come from coughing, sneezing, or even laughter causes uncontrolled urine leakage.

SUI affects the daily life of both men and women, but, fortunately, it can be treated while the patient receives a tummy tuck. During the procedure, Dr. Sayed relieves the pressure on your bladder by eliminating soft tissues from the belly area. At the same time, he can also use these tissues to obstruct your bladder to minimize urine leakage.

2. Strengthens Your Core

When flattening your abdomen, Dr. Sayed also tightens your belly muscles. These firmed-up abdominal muscles add support to your spine, keeping it straight and erect. A strong core and straight spine bring multiple health benefits, including improved posture, back pain relief, and improved balance and stability, and it also boosts your performance in the gym and other physical activities.

3. Corrects Ventral Hernia

A ventral hernia is a medical condition where part of your abdominal tissues is pushed through your abdominal muscles, creating a bulge or pouch. This type of hernia is common in patients with a weakened abdominal wall, which can result from pregnancy, abdominal surgeries like C-section or appendectomy, or extreme weight loss.

Dr. Sayed can correct this issue during the procedure by restoring the abdominal wall, composed of both the muscles and the connective tissue between them. It is essential to treat ventral hernias as they can result in severe pain.

4. Eliminates Skin Folds

Skin folds can easily become infected or irritated, so eliminating them with a tummy tuck prevents rashes, pain, and infections in the area. In addition, these folds make exercising and running much harder. Loose skin interferes with your mobility, especially after a significant weight loss, and being active after surgery is essential to maintain results.

Interested in Learning What a Tummy Tuck Can Do for You?

Are you ready to take the next step on your tummy tuck journey? If you are considering this cosmetic procedure, please do not hesitate to contact Tim Sayed, MD, Plastic Surgery, in any of our two locations. Your body figure will be in expert hands!

What Kind of Scar Can You Expect After a Tummy Tuck?

Are you thinking of getting a tummy tuck but are worried about the scars? Unfortunately, scarring is a natural result of your body’s healing process, so if you get a surgical procedure, you will undoubtedly see the consequences on your skin.

At Tim Sayed, MD, Plastic Surgery, we understand that you might feel nervous about the scarring. That’s why we want to share all you need to know about this topic. Although scars are inevitable, the good news is that they eventually fade away, different treatments are available to smooth their appearance and texture, and a skilled plastic surgeon can minimize their appearance with optimal placement and incision techniques.

What Will the Tummy Tuck Scar Look Like?

Tummy tuck surgery will leave you with a gently curving horizontal scar along your lower belly, slightly above the pubic bone. Its extension depends on the specific technique used, but it usually spans from hip to hip or is somewhat shorter.

Your scar will start to fade away approximately six months after the procedure, acquiring a soft brown or pink shade. You can expect an average time of eight to twelve months for the wound to heal entirely. However, this time and the severity of the scar varies from patient to patient, as several factors influence this physiological process, including:

Your skin type
The surgical technique
Whether you follow your post-op instructions
Post-operative complications

Is There Anything I Can Do to Make My Tummy Tuck Scars Less Noticeable?

Although scarring is an inevitable consequence of this procedure, there are some aspects you can consider before and after a tummy tuck to improve its appearance dramatically:

Choose an expert plastic surgeon. Modern approaches are more conservative and tend to obtain better post-op results, so it is crucial to choose a surgeon who stays on top of the latest surgical trends.
Avoid cigarettes and alcohol in excess. This instruction is common to all surgical procedures. Cigarettes interfere in the healing process, and excessive drinking can dry out your skin – two factors that contribute to permanent scarring.
Keep your incisions clean and dressed. Taking care of your wounds is vital to prevent infection and post-op complications.
Avoid direct sun exposure to the scar tissue. Sun is one of your worst enemies when healing from surgical procedures. Intense sun exposure can discolor scar tissue and make it even more noticeable over time.
Follow aftercare instructions. Dr. Sayed will give you specific recommendations, like massaging the area with a cream or applying a prescribed topical gel in the wound, that are crucial to speeding up the healing process.
Consider localized treatments post-surgery. If you are still unhappy with how your scar looks after some time, you can always ask about treatment alternatives. Many non or minimally-invasive procedures can improve your scar’s appearance.

Still Have Some Doubts About Tummy Tuck Scarring?

If you have any questions about scarring or any other aspect of this treatment, you can visit Dr. Sayed in either of his two locations: Newport Beach & La Jolla, CA. Please call us at (858) 247-2933 or fill out the online form, and our front-office team will schedule a consultation at your earliest convenience!

Plastic Surgery Can Help You Achieve Your New Year’s Resolutions—Here’s How!

The beginning of the new year is a time for new beginning, resolutions to follow for the rest of the year, and a time to focus on becoming the best version of yourself. Whether you want to reverse the hands of time by smoothing out wrinkles or work on having a body that makes you feel sexy and confident when you gaze in the mirror, the new year is a fantastic time to start working towards these goals. While hard work, consistency, and discipline can get you far on your road to success, plastic surgery may accelerate your progress and help you reach your goals faster.

At Dr. Tim Sayed’s beautiful boutique, he practices state-of-the-art cosmetic surgeries and assists his patients with a wide range of aesthetic needs. From plastic surgery procedures, skin care, nonsurgical treatments, and more, Dr. Sayed can help you reach your New Year’s goals. Here are a few ways how:

Rejuvenate Your Face

Plastic surgery can help rewind time by repositioning the skin back to its youthful placement on the face. If smoothing out lines and wrinkles is on your New Year’s resolution list, injectable treatments such as Botox^® or Dermal Fillers can make drooping, sallow features look vibrant and fresh again. It can be really discouraging not to look as young as you feel, especially when it comes to facial features because we constantly express emotions and communicate with others. Don’t go into another year feeling self-conscious about the lines and creases on your face. Put your best face forward in the New Year with one of these nonsurgical treatments!

Boost Your Body Confidence

If your New Year’s resolution is to finally have the body of your dreams, but you’re not getting the results you want with diet and exercise alone, body contouring procedures can help boost your body confidence for years to come. Body procedures like:

Liposuction is a popular procedure because of its ability to reduce excessive fat in troublesome body locations and improve the contour and shape of the body. While not meant as an alternate to weight loss, liposuction makes a great companion to an active diet and exercise plan to improve your physique.

Brazilian Butt Lift is the procedure to pursue if you want to skip hours spent in the gym doing hundreds of squats that do little but strain your knees and inhibit you from walking the next day. Dr. Sayed offers two techniques when it comes to a Brazilian Butt Lift: gluteal implants and fat transfer, which uses fat harvested from a secondary location on your body to shape and define your buttocks.

The Tummy Tuck, also known as abdominoplasty, is a great procedure for those who have recently lost a significant amount of weight or have had a baby and are now experiencing loose, sagging skin on the abdomen. A tummy tuck can help condition, tone, and flatten the abdomen so you can really reap the rewards of your hard work.

To learn more about these procedures to help you reach your New Year’s resolution goals, don’t hesitate to call Dr. Tim Sayed at (858) 247-2933 or contact us through our convenient website to schedule your personalized consultation with Dr. Sayed today!

Taming your tummy after weight loss

There’s no feeling quite like standing on the scales and realizing you’ve met your goal body weight.

After months of disciplined nutrition and exercise, the feeling of accomplishment is truly one to be celebrated.

Nonetheless, the hard fact remains that when the human body loses significant amounts of fatty tissue, our skin can be unpleasantly stretched without the ability to return to its former state. This issue is particularly problematic for the abdominal region, where stretched skin from significant weight loss causes loose, flabby skin folds which don’t do your hard work justice.

Fortunately, there are cosmetic procedures available to eliminate this excess skin. Here, Dr. Sayed discusses the options available to patients who have done the hard work but now need to add final touch-ups to their physique.

What causes loose skin after weight loss?

The human skin is our largest organ.

It is the first barrier between our bodies and the outside world, meaning it protects us from all manner of pathogens and illnesses. Composed of structural proteins, our skin grows and adapts to our body size and weight.

When we gain an excessive amount of weight, our skin compensates by stretching over the larger surface area. However, there is a point of no return, and once stretched too far, our skin loses its elastic properties and can’t return to its original formation.

This leaves loose skin in the areas that shrink after weight loss and pregnancy. As such, cosmetic surgeons must surgically remove the excess skin to provide a tight, smooth skin surface in these regions.

Abdominoplasty – The Tummy Tuck

The most common treatment for stretched skin after weight loss is the tummy tuck. A well-known procedure, the tummy tuck removes excess skin from the lower abdominal region to tighten up the entire area.

Not only does a tummy tuck provide a more aesthetically pleasing belly, but it offers structural support to the abdominal organs and lower back, which Improves the health and quality of life of the patient while making them look better at the same time.

In many cases, women who have given birth also consider an abdominoplasty or a more comprehensive approach to tightening their post-natal body with a mommy makeover, which includes a breast lift and can also include vaginal rejuvenation.

After doing the hard work and losing your excess body weight, you deserve to reward yourself with a physique that reflects your determined, empowered self. If you find yourself concerned with excess abdominal skin post fat loss, a tummy tuck with Dr. Tim Sayed in Newport Beach or La Jolla, CA, can help you realize the physique you deserve. Please don’t hesitate to reach out on 18582472933 or via this online form to arrange a quick virtual consultation to discover how we can help you look and feel your best.

What Is Included in a Mommy Makeover?

Childbirth is a miracle. Bringing new life into the world is a moment for rejoicing and celebration. However, there is no denying the stress that pregnancy, childbirth, and nursing have on your body.

Fortunately, plastic surgeons like Tim Sayed MD, of La Jolla, CA, can help cosmetically improve some of the changes that occur with childbearing with a comprehensive set of procedures called a mommy makeover.

Here, Dr. Sayed takes you through what procedures a mommy makeover can include and how these can help restore your pre-childbirth physique. Most of the same approaches are available for any patient who is a good surgical candidate for cosmetic contouring of the tummy and breasts, whether from weight changes, aging, or other factors. In other words, Mommy Makeovers are not just for mommies!

What Happens During Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Nursing?

To improve some of the body changes that occur after pregnancy, we first must identify what changes occur in your body during the process.

One of the first changes is the swelling of the lower abdomen, where the child develops in your uterus. For many women, the strain of carrying a growing baby can lead to a separation of the lower abdominal wall. This phenomenon leads to a weaker lower abdomen, with reduced structural support to the spine and internal organs.

The breasts enlarge with the arrival of milk, which can cause stretch marks and take away the firm, round breasts of youth. Nursing further impacts the breasts’ appearance.

During childbirth, the birth canal and vagina stretch permanently. Women have several choices to address each of these physical changes. What are some procedures you might wish to include in your mommy makeover?

Tummy Tuck

The tummy tuck is a staple procedure in a mommy makeover. This procedure treats the extended and stretched skin of the lower abdomen while reinforcing the abdominal wall, addressing any structural issues that arose during the pregnancy.

Liposuction

Liposuction is also a standard mommy makeover procedure that touches up the abdomen and helps new moms get back to the smooth, flat stomach they enjoyed before becoming a mommy.

Breast Lift

Most mothers decide to get a breast lift in their mommy makeover to counteract the drooping and stretching that occurred during pregnancy and nursing.

Vaginal Rejuvenation

Vaginal rejuvenation is one of the less-talked-about mommy makeover procedures, but it shouldn’t be. Being happy and confident in your appearance can go a long way toward having an active and healthy sex life, and vaginal rejuvenation after childbirth helps fix many issues later down the road. Labiaplasty is a procedure commonly performed to improve the outward aesthetic appearance of this area, and can have significant impact on a woman’s confidence in her intimate life.

Mommy Makeover in Newport Beach, CA

If you’re a new mother and find yourself concerned about any aspect of your post-birth physique, reach out to Dr. Tim Sayed in Newport Beach or La Jolla, CA, at 858-247-2933 or through our website to arrange a convenient virtual consultation to discover how we can help you look and feel your best.

Should You Add Liposuction to Your Tummy Tuck?

Each year, plastic surgeons in the U.S. perform over 130,000 tummy tucks, making it one of the five most popular cosmetic procedures. Because the tummy tuck can fix cosmetic and medical concerns, it’s no wonder that it is such a sought-after cosmetic procedure.

For patients with an excessive amount of extra, loose skin surrounding their abdomen, the tummy tuck can remove this skin and provide a tighter, more aesthetically pleasing waistline. The procedure also tightens stretched abdominal muscles, which increases the structural support to the abdominal organs and spine. This improves posture, relieves back pain, and reduces other medical complications like hernias.

At his gold-standard plastic surgery practice in Newport Beach and La Jolla, CA, Dr. Tim Sayed is often asked how tummy tuck results can be further improved.

One way to dramatically improve the results from a tummy tuck is by combining the procedure with liposuction. Here, Dr. Sayed discusses the different motivations patients have for undergoing a tummy tuck and how liposuction can be a beneficial addition to the operation.

Why Do Patients Choose a Tummy Tuck?

A tummy tuck is performed either out of choice, to improve the abdomen’s aesthetic appearance, or out of necessity to solve medical complications caused by excess skin and tissue.

Aesthetic Tummy Tuck

Most tummy tuck patients choose the procedure for aesthetic reasons. After pregnancy or significant weight loss, the skin surrounding the lower abdomen can become stretched, loose, and unsightly, which motivates patients towards a tummy tuck. (In fact, two of the fundamental procedure in a mommy-makeover are the tummy tuck and liposuction!).

Combining liposuction in the right patient can help enhance the waistline, improve the flatness of the abdomen, reduce extra bulges around the flanks, and add definition to the skin surface, in some cases simulating a more fit-appearing, muscular abdomen. For some patients, getting high-definition liposuction will further improve the results.

Liposuction in certain zones of the abdomen must be done with caution, especially if patients with higher body mass index (BMI) and in the upper central area, due to blood supply and wound healing precautions.

Partner with a Body Contouring Expert

Adding liposuction to your tummy tuck can significantly improve the results of either aesthetic or medical procedures. If you are still unsure whether you should combine the procedures or not, please reach out to Dr. Tim Sayed in Newport Beach or La Jolla, CA, at (858) 247 2933 or via this online form to arrange an in-person or virtual consultation today.

Planning Your Tummy Tuck Surgery

A Tummy Tuck—sometimes referred to as an abdominoplasty—is a cosmetic surgical procedure that creates a significantly slimmer, tighter stomach profile. By removing excess skin, fat, and tissue while tightening your abdominal wall muscles, Dr. Sayed can transform your stomach in just a few hours. While patients love this procedure and its impressive results, a tummy tuck requires considerable financial and time commitment.

To see the best results, you’ll need to plan ahead and carefully follow every step of the post-op recovery process. While this might sound daunting, you’re not alone. Dr. Sayed and our entire team are here to help you at every stage of your journey. Dr. Sayed has worked with patients of all ages and genders and has extensive experience performing this nuanced surgery. If you ever have a question, chances are he’s heard it before. There is no detail too small or concern too mundane.

We’ll provide you with all the knowledge and tips to ensure a safe and speedy recovery. Generally, we recommend patients take about six months to plan for their tummy tuck. Below, we’ve broken down each stage of the planning process to give you a full picture of what to expect. That said, every tummy tuck is custom-built to suit your aesthetic goals, lifestyle, and anatomy.

As such, no two surgeries will be identical. In some instances, a patient might need less (or more) than six months to prepare. More information will only help, but please note that the only way to determine what’s best for you is to schedule an in-person consultation with Dr. Sayed.

Four to Six Months Prior to Surgery

During this initial planning period, it’s up to you to get your body and mind ready for surgery—and life afterward. Though a tummy tuck will transform your body, it’s up to you to maintain results. It’s critical to begin making holistic, healthy lifestyle choices.

These include maintaining a nutritionally rich and balanced diet, regular exercise, adequate hydration, and stress management. Focus on incorporating more fresh fruits and vegetables into your daily meals and drinking water throughout the day. These habits will provide your body with the nutrients and vitamins it needs to heal as fast as possible and stay trim post-tummy tuck.

If you’re a tobacco smoker, you should also begin the process of quitting. Dr. Sayed recommends limiting how much alcohol you drink from this point on, as well. As both tobacco and alcohol consumption play a significant part in your body’s ability to heal and fight infections, these are incredibly important considerations to keep in mind.

Now is also the time to begin researching and determining prospective doctors. Many top surgeons book three to four months ahead, so getting an early start on scheduling consultations can only help make the process easier for you and your doctor.

It’s essential to choose a board-certified plastic surgeon with work you’ve seen and trust. During your initial consultation, be sure your doctor provides plenty of before and after pictures to give you a clear idea of what to expect and if they’re the right fit for you.

Four Months Pre-Tummy Tuck

By now, your fitness routine should be locked in, and you should ideally be quite close (or at) your ideal weight. As we’ve mentioned, maintaining a healthy body weight post-tummy tuck is the key to upkeeping lifelong results. And by starting ahead of time, you’ll ensure you have the skills and practice to make this possible.

It’s best to conduct your consultations at this stage and decide which doctor suits your needs best. These meetings are the perfect time to ask any questions you have. Once you’ve determined who’s best, you’ll work together with your board-certified cosmetic surgeon to build a unique treatment plan.

At this point, we provide our clients with a full picture of what to expect throughout the pre and post-op periods to ensure you have ample time to prepare.

Three Months Pre-Tummy Tuck

Once you’ve reached the three-month mark, you should have found a surgeon and chosen your surgery dates. It’s then time to begin setting up your recovery plan; schedule time off work, figure out childcare and pet accommodations, and build your post-op home support network.

Dr. Sayed will provide you with an in-depth list of everything you’ll need to take care of. For tobacco product users, you’ll need to quit altogether at the three-month point. It’s time to get excited about your new tighter tummy!

One Month Pre-Tummy Tuck

During these final weeks before your abdominoplasty, it’s vital to go over your plans for the big day and recovery. Purchase any supplies you’ll need (we’ll make sure you have everything), and start to craft your recovery environment. Staying cozy and comfy is a significant part of making your recovery as easy as possible.

We recommend patients purchase:

Firm pillows for elevated sleeping
Gauze pads
Loose, comfortable clothing
Underwear that’s easy to remove
OTC pain medication and ice packs
Prescribed compression garments (if necessary)

Meal prepping at this stage can be a huge help, as well. Taking the stress out of figuring out what to eat during recovery will make everything easier. Plus, by preparing your meals ahead of time, you’ll help to ensure you maintain healthy eating habits as your body heals.
In the last few days before surgery, you should be checking off all your pre-op checklist items. Also be sure to wear comfy clothes on surgery day. Dr. Sayed will meet with you day-of to check-in and make sure all your last-minute questions are answered.

Schedule Your Consultation Today

If you want to learn more about a tummy tuck with Dr. Sayed, your next step is to schedule a consultation. We are currently offering both in-person and virtual consultations to ensure the safety of our patients. Get in touch with our La Jolla or Newport Beach, CA, offices by giving us a call at 858-247-2933 or contacting us online today.

How Pregnancy Affects a Tummy Tuck

Many of our tummy tuck patients are recent mothers, as pregnancy has a special knack for leaving behind loose skin, excess fat, and sometimes even splayed abdominal muscles. When possible, Dr. Sayed recommends all his patients wait to get their tummy tuck (or abdominoplasty) until after they’ve finished building their family.

With that said, tummy tucks don’t change your ability to get pregnant or have a healthy child. Having an abdominoplasty won’t affect your fertility or cause any medical issues during pregnancy or childbirth. But, that doesn’t mean pregnancy won’t have an effect on the aesthetic results of your procedure.

Below, we’ll go into detail about exactly how pregnancy post-tummy tuck looks, figuring out the right time for a pregnancy, and why Dr. Sayed recommends waiting until after you’re done having children to receive this groundbreaking procedure.

The Right Time for a Tummy Tuck

Having a baby changes so much about your life and body. Aside from the emotional growth, life-altering love, and plain magic of creating a life, your body’s natural changes can make even the strictest diets and exercise routines feel futile. Pregnancy’s stretching of the body can also often lead to a condition called diastasis, which is the technical term for the rectus abdominis muscles separating. Abdominoplasty surgery removes loose and excess skin while tightening the abdominal wall and is a perfect solution to get your pre-body baby back in a single operation.

So why wait until after you’ve had all your kids to get a tummy tuck? Any significant amount of weight fluctuation can affect tummy tuck results in unpredictable ways. With pregnancy, not only will you experience rapid weight gain, but the stretching of the skin a second time can also lead to unwanted cosmetic results, especially after you lose your baby weight.

Of course, every body is unique and responds differently to pregnancy after a tummy tuck. If you plan on getting pregnant in the future, be sure to talk with Dr. Sayed to learn about all the options available to provide sculpting and fat removal. That way, we can determine a safe and effective treatment plan to provide ideal results.

The Benefits of Waiting

Aside from avoiding skin stretching and weight fluctuation, postponing your tummy tuck offers some other benefits as well. One of the most convenient is combining your abdominoplasty with a sterilization procedure like tubal ligation. If you combine these procedures, you’ll only need to deal with one operation and a single recovery period. Dr. Sayed can also employ several techniques to specifically target the reduction of stretch marks and C-section scarring caused by pregnancy.

Dr. Sayed understands life is unpredictable, and things change. Sometimes, that includes deciding to become pregnant after a tummy tuck. If you find yourself in this position, be sure to talk with Dr. Sayed to chart the best path forward and answer any of your questions.

Generally, if you become pregnant post-tummy tuck, you may not “show” as early as an average pregnancy. This phenomenon is usually due to the tightened abdominal muscles and skin and should not cause any medical concern. There is no evidence that getting pregnant after a tummy tuck poses any risk to the health of you or your baby.

How Soon Is Too Soon?

Often our patients ask Dr. Sayed if he can perform a tummy tuck at the same time as their C-section. The answer, unfortunately, is no. In the initial period after your pregnancy, the body needs time to heal before you can have a successful tummy tuck. Why? Immediately after delivering a baby, the uterus is still larger than normal, which can prevent Dr. Sayed from optimally tightening your abdominal muscles and removing skin. Further, most women need a few months to return to their ideal body weight to maximize their results.

Finally, tummy tuck patients need to avoid lifting any heavy objects for a few weeks following the procedure, which can be particularly difficult with a newborn in the home. Giving yourself the necessary time to fully heal and recover ensures Dr. Sayed can provide the results you want.

Schedule a Consultation

Deciding to get a tummy tuck after pregnancy is a significant decision. Our entire team is here to help you feel confident in your choice and answer any of your questions and concerns.

If you think a tummy tuck could be right for you, the next step is to schedule an in-person consultation at our San Diego, CA, offices. To get in touch, give us a call at 858-24SAYED or contact us online today.

Can a Tummy Tuck Give You Abs?

Patients interested in a tummy tuck often wish for an ideal midsection, one that is toned, lean, and displays visible muscle. But will a tummy tuck give you these results on its own? For patients who have experienced muscle separation after significant weight loss and pregnancy, a tummy tuck is necessary to get them much closer to their goal. Read our infographic below for more information!

If you are interested in a tummy tuck, contact us to schedule a consultation today.

What is the Recovery Process After Your Tummy Tuck?

For many women, abdominoplasty helps them regain a beautiful, feminine figure. While the treatment itself is critical, recovery makes up an essential part of the overall process. If you don’t recover correctly or safely, you may not enjoy the full potential of your treatment.

When you have an abdominoplasty completed by our San Diego plastic surgeon, this is the process you can expect for recovery:

Immediately After Surgery

Once the procedure is over, you’ll spend a few hours in the postoperative suite as we monitor your vitals. We’ll keep an eye out for blood clotting and other common side effects that may compromise the healing process.

You’ll be discharged in the care of a friend or family member and sent home with a set of post-procedure instructions. In the first 24 hours after surgery, you may get a few phone calls from our staff checking in, and we’ll provide an on-call number for you to reach our team or Dr. Sayed in case of emergency.

Having someone to help you maneuver around your home the first few days following your abdominoplasty is especially important. The pain medication you’ll receive can make you dizzy, which makes basic tasks more difficult than usual. Having an extra pair of helping hands will ensure you can concentrate on rest and recovery.

1 Week after Surgery

The first weeks after surgery are the most challenging. Patients often find that they are slightly stooped and that their skin feels tight. While we don’t recommend strenuous physical activity, Dr. Sayed strongly suggests walking around your home a little bit every day, starting the day you return home. This light activity helps stimulate circulation and eases the soreness that often accompanies this treatment. Beyond walking around your home, we strongly recommend patients take at least two weeks off from work and put their social calendars on hold for the first month after treatment.

As with any surgery, patients may experience physical discomforts, such as abdominal pain, cramping, nausea, and back discomfort. These side effects are completely normal, and our plastic surgeon can provide you and your caregiver with suggestions for alleviating your discomfort without compromising your recovery.

About a week following your appointment, you’ll visit our San Diego or Newport Beach offices for a follow-up appointment. During this visit, we’ll check on the incision site and remove any stitches that have not yet dissolved. We may take out the surgical drains at this time as well, depending on how the healing progresses.

Post-Abdominoplasty Four Weeks and Beyond

Between weeks four and six in your recovery process, you’ll start to notice post-surgical bruising and swelling begin to subside. To continue healing safely, you’ll keep wearing a compression garment around the treated area. This helps the newly positioned abdominal tissues adapt to their contours while controlling swelling. Although you may still experience some discomfort, sudden pains will become less frequent.

Depending on how you’re healing, Dr. Sayed may give you the go-ahead to resume an exercise plan. However, we recommend taking it slow to protect a healing abdomen and muscles that haven’t been stretched strenuously for several months. Walks and light cardio are great ways to get back into an exercise routine as your body continues to adjust to its new figure.

Successful Recovery is Unique

Every patient has a unique abdominoplasty experience. While some heal entirely within three to four months, others may take longer. As a result, our San Diego plastic surgeon takes great care to create individualized treatment and recovery plans for every patient. Doing so allows Dr. Sayed not only to provide excellent care but also ensure that our patients enjoy the results of abdominoplasty for years to come. To learn more about this procedure, contact our locations in San Diego or Newport Beach today and schedule a consultation.