Rehabilitation after abdominal liposuction: complications and care



The duration of skin restoration after liposuction depends on the scale of the operation. For the abdomen, this period usually ranges from 3 months to six months. The most difficult period is the first month, after which the patient already feels a significant relief of the condition and can do her usual activities.

At the initial stage of rehabilitation after liposuction of the patient’s abdomen, the appearance of this part of the body sometimes scares. Edemas, hematomas, stretched skin - far from the ideal that the person aspired to when agreeing to the procedure. But this is a temporary phenomenon, and after three months you can see the final result, namely, a slender tummy.

It is believed that immediately after the procedure of removing fat on the abdomen, you can go home. Indeed, if the volume of body fat is small, then a person can leave the medical facility several hours after the operation. But the volume of liposuction on the abdomen is quite extensive. Usually the patient is allowed to go home the next day, and in a good clinic this period is at least 3 days. During this period, the doctor monitors the patient, prescribes appropriate treatment, and the medical staff does the dressings, caring for the aspiration zone.

During the week, the patient experiences painful or unpleasant sensations, which are easily removed by analgesics. Edema increases by the third day and can last up to 7 days. Acceptance of spicy and salty foods can provoke "walking" edema, while the skin slips into different places and is collected by a bump. This can not be called something extraordinary, but you need to visit a doctor to prescribe treatment. This situation is easily eliminated with the help of massage.

Hematomas may be disturbed by an unusual manifestation. The first hematomas pass and they are replaced by more extensive ones that have arisen in deep tissues. This is a normal physiological process, which has its own time interval and does not carry any threat.

The stitches after the procedure are small and rarely cause concern, the doctor removes them on the 7th day. In their place are reddish scars, which eventually heal. During the period of healing scars can not sunbathe in the sun, otherwise this part of the skin will undergo pigmentation (darkens).

Rehabilitation after liposuction of the abdomen includes a number of mandatory rules:



• wear compression garments or bandages for at least a month;
• follow the diet recommended by the doctor;
• timely visit the doctor for examination;
• in the first month to visit the physiotherapy room and undergo all prescribed procedures: ultrasound, myostimulation and others;
• alternate rest and moderate exercise as often as possible;
• refuse to visit the bath and sauna for 1-2 months;
• consult a doctor in time if unusual sensations or visible signs appear on the skin.

If you follow all the recommendations of the doctor, then after 2-3 months you can already admire a beautiful belly. In order to consolidate the effect, the next three months you need to follow a diet and give the body enough exercise. Six months after the operation, we can talk about a steady positive effect.

How is the recovery after abdominoplasty

Abdominoplasty is a complex surgical procedure in which not only the skin is affected, but also the muscle tissue, as well as nerve endings, veins and blood vessels. Therefore, the rehabilitation period of this operation is more difficult than after liposuction.

For the first few days the patient is in the hospital under the supervision of a physician. During this period, he is recommended to lie on his side or in a position in which the legs and upper torso are slightly raised. Special stockings are put on the legs, preventing the development of thrombosis. The painful sensations are strong, therefore the pain relievers are administered intramuscularly for 2-3 days, then the tablets are prescribed. After any surgery, antibiotics are prescribed to eliminate tissue inflammation.

The first two weeks the patient is periodically observed by the doctor. At this time, it is important to do the dressings in time, the stitches are removed on day 14. To eliminate the divergence of seams it is necessary to wear a bandage for at least one month. For two weeks it is recommended to move in a slightly bent forward position.

After abdominoplasty there is swelling of the tissues for a month or more, during this period you can use anti-inflammatory ointments. When hematomas form, the doctor cauterizes the bleeding vessel. Loss of sensitivity of the abdomen is a natural phenomenon, since the integrity of the multitude of nerve endings is disturbed, this complication disappears on its own after a few months.

The basic rules for recovery after abdominoplasty:

• be sure to wear compression garments;
• limit physical activity, do not lift weights;
• you can not sunbathe and visit the bath or sauna;
• follow a special diet;
• go to the procedures recommended by the doctor;
• take the necessary medicines.

Recovery from abdominoplasty takes 1.5–2 months; after such a period of time, a person can return to his usual activities. Full rehabilitation (healing of all tissues) can take up to six months, but it is the first two months of postoperative care that determine the speed of muscle and skin recovery, as well as the absence of complications.

How to recover quickly after abdominoplasty?

1. For quick healing of scars need to lubricate them with Kontraktubeks gel. The procedure of ultrasound contributes to better penetration of the healing agent.
2. On the night of the scars to do the application plates Epi-derm, Elastoderm or other similar. The plates reduce pain and promote good healing of scars, improving the aesthetic effect.
3. For the prevention of blood clots, pressure therapy is recommended for the patient. This procedure provides metered pressure on the abdominal muscles, improving blood flow.
4. Swelling of the tissues quickly passes if you visit the procedure of magnetic therapy.
5. Normalization of the skin tone contributes to the vacuum-roller massage.

Diet after abdominoplasty abdomen

Immediately after surgery, the patient should follow a special diet. You need to eat small portions, but often. Products that promote the formation of gases in the intestine should be excluded. These include: legumes, cabbage, milk, kefir, cheese, apples, grapes, tomatoes, cucumbers, products made from white flour (biscuits, fresh bread, etc.). Legumes can be replaced with more tender lentils, milk with yogurt, vegetables should be stewed in butter, and fruits should be consumed only after a full meal.

Some women, seeking to maintain the result achieved with the help of the operation, exhaust themselves with various diets. But a strict low-calorie diet is not allowed after abdominoplasty. Doctors categorically do not recommend changing the diet in order to lose weight and offer the only sensible option - a balanced, nutritious diet without overeating.

In the daily diet must be present proteins, fats and carbohydrates. The consumption of simple carbohydrates (sugar, sweet buns, etc.) should be limited, ideally replaced with fruits and berries.

Sports after abdominoplasty: recommendations of doctors

The first weeks after the operation, people do not remember the sport, because during this period you should even walk in a half-bent position. In order that the muscle tone does not decrease, doctors recommend alternating rest with movements as often as possible. It is desirable to rest lying down, not sitting, to walk as often as possible, but for short distances. By the end of the first month, the patient can easily move as usual.

Fans of riding, cycling, swimming are often interested in the question of when you can return to the sport after abdominoplasty. Doctors recommend to refrain from active physical activity for two months from the moment of surgery.

If the seams have grown together well, there are no crusts, then after a month and a half you can swim and walk for a long time, easy running is allowed. After 2 months you can visit the gym, but you need to engage in compression underwear for 3-5 weeks. From the third month more active loads are allowed (horseback riding, weight lifting exercises, etc.), but it is necessary to observe moderation, since the tissues heal completely after about six months.

How to plan a pregnancy after abdominoplasty

One of the contraindications for abdominoplasty is pregnancy planning for 1 year, since it is precisely this period of abstinence from conception that many doctors recommend. However, some surgeons believe that it is inappropriate to perform a complex operation to maintain the effect for such a short period of time, since after birth the result of abdominoplasty will certainly decrease. In one case, it may require only a small correction, in the other - a reoperation, so it is believed that the pregnancy should be postponed for 5-6 years.

Pregnancy after abdominoplasty proceeds normally. The operation does not affect the fetus and the health of the mother, but this issue should be discussed with the doctor, since the risks of loss of effect are individual. What kind of aesthetic abdominal changes occur after childbirth can be found by reading the reviews on the forums from women who had given birth, who had previously undergone a similar operation.

Sex after abdominoplasty

Intimacy after surgery is prohibited until removal of sutures. After two weeks, when the stitches are removed, you can have sex, but very carefully. A woman should not feel discomfort or pain. If such manifestations are observed, then it is better to refuse sex or to choose a posture in which pain will not arise.

Some doctors do not recommend sex after abdominoplasty for a month or even more, it all depends on the scale of the operation and other features. The exact answer to the question of intimacy can only give a doctor.

Why is Betadine ointment prescribed after abdominoplasty?

Ointment Betadine belongs to the group of antiseptics that have an active effect against fungi, viruses, bacteria and protozoa. The bactericidal effect is achieved by the gradual release of iodine from the drug as a result of contact of the ointment with the skin or mucous membranes.

Betadine ointment after abdominoplasty is prescribed to prevent wound infection or to treat existing inflammation. Antiseptic is applied to the seams 1-2 times a day for one or two weeks. Ointment can be replaced by Betadine solution.