Weight loss surgery|Weight loss therapy

When can normal activities be resumed?

Normal activities should not be resumed for at least two weeks. 

Assistance at home with young children and normal household duties should be arranged prior to the surgery. 

Heavy lifting, strenuous exercise, or any activity which causes discomfort should be avoided until 6 weeks after surgery. 

As the discomfort subsides, the level of activity may gradually be increased.

Should weight be lost before and after the surgery?

Ideally, a person’s weight should be stable and at a level which can easily be maintained without extensive dieting in Weight loss surgery.

The same level of fitness and weight established before surgery needs to be maintained after surgery or the results will be less than optimal. 

Losing weight after a tummy tuck improves the surgical result and the overall contour of the torso. 

Gaining weight after surgery causes the problem to recur, and a lower abdominal paunch may develop. 

This is because excess abdominal skin and fat will hang over the abdominal scar, which acts like a tight belt.

Will stretch marks disappear?

No procedure can remove stretch marks over the entire abdomen.  A tummy tuck will remove skin on the lower abdomen thus eliminating stretch marks in this area.  The stretch marks on the skin of the upper abdomen which is pulled down to over the lower abdomen will remain, but will look better because the skin has been stretched.

Regular applications of creams containing tretinoin or the use of laser therapy may help to soften the look of unsightly stretchmarks.  These alternatives are discussed in more detail in Fat reduced plan.

Does a tummy tuck affect the internal organs?

A tummy tuck does not enter the abdominal cavity, and therefore has absolutely no effect on the function of the bowel or other internal organs.  Occasionally, a small abdominal wall hernia is discovered during the tummy tuck procedure, and is repaired at the same time in Weight loss surgery.

Can a tummy tuck be combined with a hysterectomy or tubal ligation?

It is theoretically possible to combine these gynaecological procedures with tummy tuck surgery, although the risk of infection and other complications is significantly increased because the abdominal cavity, where the internal organs are located, is entered in Fat reduced plan.  There is always some degree of contamination by bacteria when the abdominal cavity is opened.  Combining a gynecological procedure with a tummy tuck takes more time and puts the patient at greater risk of developing otherwise rare complications.  Therefore, it is usually recommended that simultaneous surgical intervention which would increase the risk to the patient be avoided in Fat reduced plan.

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