Tummy Tuck After Pregnancies-North Carolina*

Multiple pregnancies can lead to stretched out and excessive skin and fat below the belly button as well as loosening of the normally tight covering of the muscle (fascia) called diastases rectus. Abdominoplasty corrects this problem. This patient was a 53-year-old woman who bore 5 children. Despite diet and exercise she was unable to improve upon the lower skin and had laxity of her abdominal wall. She decided upon tummy tuck and underwent abdominoplasty with liposuction of the flanks by Dr. Lyle. Recovery from tummy tuck varies- generally patients can be expected to be primarily homebound for up to 2 weeks. Then over the next 4 weeks, return to normal activities is gradual but generally by 6 weeks, most patients are doing quite well and aside from full workouts in the gym- are back to baseline. Over the years, Dr Lyle has noted that recovery is quite individualized and has had patients return to work as soon as one week post op but this is not always predictable. He uses Exparel- a long lasting numbing medicine during the surgery to help reduce pain post op, Oral narcotics are offered for initial pain management but NSAIDs are allowed as well as other non narcotic pain relievers. Age is not a good predictor of recovery either as he has performed abdominoplasty on women into their 70s with fairly rapid recovery. It is important to have a thorough discussion of post operative expectations with your surgeon before undergoing such a major procedure.