Tummy Tuck in Nashville

In addition to booking your time in the operating room, we also reserve time between 1 month and 2 weeks out from your procedure for a pre-operative visit. This appointment allows us to review your goals in detail once more, review all post-op instructions, provide tips on how to prepare, and answer any remaining questions you have to feel confident going into the day of your surgery.

The day of your abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) in Nashville, we want you to feel calm, ready, and well cared for.

Your surgeon will first mark the area for treatment. Once you are ready, we will escort you to our on-site operating suite—a AAAA, State-accredited facility—where we will place you under anesthesia and begin your procedure.

Your highly experienced plastic surgeon will perform one of two tummy tuck procedures: a full abdominoplasty or a mini-abdominoplasty.

For a full abdominoplasty, he or she will make an incision along your lower waistline, removing excess fat and skin while tightening your abdominal muscles. This technique also requires making an incision around the navel.

A mini abdominoplasty is done primarily when just the lower abdomen, the (“mommy pouch”) is the area of concern. It is a smaller incision than the full abdominoplasty. Even though an abdominoplasty is a more extensive surgery, it is a more thorough and effective technique to reduce the size of the abdomen.

If discussed in your overall care plan, we will also perform liposuction to remove excess fat in the area before finalizing your surgery and releasing you to a quiet recovery area.

We will advise you on all of the details you will need to know to maintain a healthy, speedy recovery. A few things to keep in mind for after your abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) in Nashville include:

• Do not drive until cleared by the office staff
• No exercise, strenuous activity, or heavy lifting for two weeks. A nurse will discuss with you at your 2 week post-operative visit when and what type of activity you may resume at that point.
• Resume eating food as soon as you are ready, but avoid spicy and greasy foods for 24 hours
• At no point while taking pain medication can you drive a car, go to work, make important decisions, or consume alcohol.
• Antibiotics can interfere with the efficacy of oral birth control. If you currently take a birth control pill, you should use a back-up method of contraception while you are on your antibiotics after surgery.
• You will continually wear a compression garment under your clothes for 3 weeks (except when showering) or until you are instructed by a nurse to change into different compression wear.
• Anticipate that a drain will be in place for 2 to 3 weeks. This drain will be removed by our office staff when appropriate during one of your follow-up appointments.

Achieving a successful and speedy recovery after a tummy tuck in Nashville is within reach with a consistent exercise plan. While it’s natural for the healing process to take anywhere from a few weeks to several months, sticking to an exercise regimen can help accelerate the process. Keep in mind that swelling typically takes a minimum of six months to fully subside, and scars may take six months to a year to flatten and fade. But don’t worry—once your scars have fully healed, they will be virtually invisible under your clothes and will not be noticeable when wearing most swimsuits.