One of the most popular types of plastic surgery which has the most noticeable results is abdominoplasty, also called a tummy tuck.  How soon will those results be obvious though, and what will recovery from abdominoplasty entail?

Abdominoplasty procedures vary a great deal in terms of extensiveness; some people just get mini abdominoplasties, while others get large operations which dramatically change their shape.  How extensive your procedure will be will determine in part how long it takes you to recover.  In general though you can expect to stay the night at the hospital after your surgery is complete.  On that day your catheter will be removed, which may result in some discomfort or difficulty urinating (or having to urinate frequently).  Many patients need to remain several more days in the hospital before going home to complete recovery.  During this time you will be in some pain but will be given drugs to help you cope.  You will also experience some draining of excess fluids.  After five to seven days some of your stitches can come out, but for the deepest stitches you will need to wait several weeks.

While you are recovering from abdominoplasty you will need to wear a compression garment.  This will be included in your costs for abdominoplasty.  It is a special kind of garment which puts pressure on your abdomen to support it while it heals for the first month after your operation.  The garment has to be changed every week, and you will probably discover your skin feels tender for at least two weeks (longer if you stress the injury, so don’t strain your skin).

How long will full recovery take?  For most people it will be about 3-6 months before recovery is complete, though some of your scars may still take a bit longer to fade.  The results of your abdominoplasty will be fully obvious by this time, and you should observe an impressive difference in your figure!