Tummy Tuck

PRE OPERATION

Now that we have met, and gone through what the surgery entails, here are just a few guidelines on the upcoming weeks prior to your surgical day.

1 month prior to surgery:

-Refrain from smoking completely, it impairs healing, can cause stretched, widened, elevated and thickened darker scars, as well as causing skin death.

2 weeks prior to surgery:

-Avoid anything with aspirin, or any flu medication combinations-these contain blood thinning drugs

1 week prior to surgery:

-Stop all over the counter medications including vitamins and avoid anything over 1 unit of alcohol[a glass of wine/ a beer] per night. 

-Stop all health and gym supplements completely -Stop any tea preparations[green tea/health tea] other that the normal varieties. 

-Avoid anything with aspirin, or any flu medication combinations-these contain blood thinning drugs. This is for 2 weeks prior to surgery.[any other blood thinning medication must be reported to Dr Singh if you happened to omit this on my information/consult form] 

-Continue taking all other medications.

Day of Surgery:

-Anxiety is expected, mixed with excitement, but most importantly, a feeling that you are in the best hands and will be well looked after throughout your whole surgical experience. 

-Chat to me about any last minute questions you have, I pride myself in being an approachable person, not just an approachable surgeon 

-Don’t eat or drink from the specified time on your admission slip, and come through to the day ward where I will go through things again, and mark you out. 

The anaesthetist will come through and go through the anaesthetic procedures, and will prescribe some meds to take the edge off and get you a bit drowsy before you are wheeled into theatre [this is called a pre-med]

POST OPERATION:

We will wake you up in theatre and transfer you back to the ward. You will be surprisingly pain free, as I inject the area whilst you are asleep to keep you pain free post op.

You will have dressings on , and small drains connected to concealable drainage bags on either side. 

I will come and examine you when you are awake.You will spend a night in hospital, it helps for monitoring and to recover from the anaesthesia.

You will have a catheter and a drip in- the next morning we will get you out of bed and remove these devices.

You will be discharged the day after surgery with some painkillers, and anti-inflammatories, antibiotics as well as some dressings and micropore tape[only for use when I see you 5 days later in my rooms.]

We will show you how the drains work and also how to empty and measure them. Do not smoke, take any alcohol, or start any over the counter meds or any other of the blood thinners as set out in my pre-op form.

Do start your chronic meds[besides blood thinners] the day of surgery. 

Please sleep on your back and leave the garment on- this must be worn round the clock[ie never removed] for at least 1 weeks post op.Walk around slightly hunched over to take tension off the suture line. I will see you 5-7 days post op- and remove the garment and dressings. 

There are no stitches to be removed, and I will apply micropore tape to the suture line,I will remove the drains- it is not painful at all, and patients often feel like it was much ado about nothing regarding the stress of removing them.

I will show you how to apply the micropore tape-you may shower normally with it on. 

Micropore must be changed only after 5 days and we continue taping for 6 weeks post op. We recommend using the garment for at least 6 weeks post op- and using it all the time, also to bed

-There is no need to massage the area. Return to work 10-14 days post op[as well as driving]You may start walking only as exercise 2 weeks after surgery[ with the garment on]Start gym at 6 weeks and progress as tolerated.  After approximately 2 weeks, the residual discoluration and bruising subsides almost completely. 

I will see you again in a month, then 3 months, 6 months, a year and then when necessary. 

This is literally a life changing procedure in that patients are extremely happy. The scars although pre-op are always a concern, heal beautifully and are often not noticeable, even under revealing bathing suits. 

You will wonder why you didn’t have this procedure earlier! You will be most happy with your new look, it brings a world of confidence and a whole new wardrobe!