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There are many aspects to successful tummy tuck recovery, here’s what you should know.

Tummy Tuck Recovery - Pearl Recovery Retreat & Wellness

A tummy tuck, also called an abdominoplasty, removes some of the excess skin and fat around the lower abdominal muscles to make it look smoother and tighter. Tummy tucks are often done after a woman is done having children if she has a “pouch” she’d like to eliminate that isn’t going away with diet and exercise. Someone who has lost a lot of weight might also have the need for a tummy tuck. Only your doctor can tell you if an abdominoplasty is right for you, but in the meantime, here are some facts about the procedure, what tummy tuck recovery might look like, and some tips for recuperating and getting back to normal after your surgery.

What Is a Tummy Tuck?

During a tummy tuck, your surgeon will make an incision along the pubic hairline and on each side of your lower abdomen. In some cases, another incision will be made near the navel. The skin is pulled down and the excess skin in the area is trimmed off, then it’s sutured together. The surgeon will make you a new belly button, too, since your original one will be pulled down.

In some cases, liposuction is done as well to remove excess fat. This can add to your recuperation time.

Some tummy tucks are only done in a small area of the lower abdomen, while others remove more of the skin in a larger area. The extent of your surgery will help determine your tummy tuck recovery timeline.

As you’re stitched up, your surgeon will often place drainage tubes under your skin to allow fluids to drain during the healing process. These will be removed later.

A tummy tuck can be done under local anesthesia and sedation, which means that you’re awake but relaxed, or under general anesthesia, which means that you’re asleep. Your surgeon will talk to you about your options and help you decide which is best for you.

What Is the Tummy Tuck Recovery Process Like?

Immediately after your tummy tuck surgery, you will still be numb if you’ve had local anesthetic. If you were asleep, you will need to wake up in the recovery room. Your pain will be managed with medication.

Over the next few days, you’ll experience pain, swelling, and some bruising. You might have some bleeding, too. Your surgeon will tell you what to look for in terms of troubling signs. You will probably need to change your bandages periodically; you’ll be instructed on what to do.

You’ll also need to move your legs and walk around at certain intervals to prevent a complication called deep vein thrombosis, or DVT. This is when a blood clot develops in a vein, and it can lead to a pulmonary embolism, which is a blood clot in the lung. This condition can be fatal, so follow your doctor’s instructions carefully to prevent deep vein thrombosis from occurring. If you notice the signs of DVT, which include leg swelling, a hot or warm spot on the leg, pain when moving your foot, shortness of breath, or chest pain, call your doctor or get to the emergency room immediately.

You might be given antibiotics, blood thinners, and ointments to use to help prevent complications and enhance your healing. Always follow your doctor’s instructions precisely when taking prescribed medications. If you are taking narcotic painkillers, it can be helpful to have someone else help you so you don’t take too many or take them too close together.

How Pearl Recovery Retreat Can Help

Recuperating from a tummy tuck can take several weeks. In the early days, your mobility will be limited and you might experience pain. Being home alone is not a good option, as you will likely need help changing your dressings, showering, getting dressed, and getting yourself meals. If you are home in a busy household, that is also not conducive to getting the rest that you need.

If you can recuperate at Pearl Recovery Retreat, you will have round-the-clock nursing care available. Someone will always be on hand to help you as needed with your activities of daily living. In addition, healthy meals are brought to you so you can eat in the comfort of your own room. The facility is quiet and clean, which will allow you to relax and get the rest needed to fully recover. We also have services like hyperbaric oxygen therapy, massage, and juice cleanses that can help you to get better more quickly.

Even more importantly, Pearl Recovery Retreat can help you coordinate your care to ensure that you have the medical assistance needed during your recovery. A nurse can check you for signs of DVT or infection. You will be given your medications on time and in the correct dosages, eliminating the risk of taking the wrong medicine at the wrong time or taking them too often. You’ll also be able to get transportation to and from your surgical center for a follow-up appointment with your surgeon or if you have signs of infection or complications that require additional medical care.

Tips for Tummy Tuck Recovery

Whether you are recuperating at home or at a recovery center, here are some tips to help the tummy tuck recovery process go more smoothly:

  • Eat foods that are high in protein. These will give your body the energy it needs to heal from the surgery.
  • Have easy-to-prepare, healthy foods on hand. Prepping some of these foods ahead of time will help you to avoid relying on frozen convenience foods or fast foods, which are high in salt and can contribute to excessive swelling.
  • Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated and to help your body processes.
  • Listen to your body. Don’t try to overdo it when it comes to activity.
  • Follow your doctor’s instructions carefully. Don’t lift items that are too heavy or start driving too soon. Have someone help you to get to the bathroom during the first couple of days after your surgery. Take medications as prescribed, and be sure to do the exercises necessary to prevent blood clots.

Contact Pearl Recovery Retreat if you are interested in booking services to help you with your recovery after your tummy tuck surgery.

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Orthopedic Rehabilitation - Pearl Recovery Retreat

Orthopedic rehabilitation can be made easier at a recovery retreat. Here, all you need to worry about is resting, healing, and following your doctor’s instructions.

After your orthopedic surgery, you will go through the process of recovery. What your recovery looks like will depend on your health before your surgery, exactly which type of procedure you had, which medications you are on, and the support that you receive after your surgery. Many patients find that rehabilitating at a wellness center like Pearl Recovery Retreat & Wellness gives them the priceless gift of a smooth recovery. Learn more about the benefits of spending some time at our recovery retreat during your orthopedic rehabilitation.

Peace, Quiet, and Pampering

During orthopedic rehabilitation, one of the factors that can decrease your recovery time is the amount of rest you get. If you live alone or with just one other quiet person, then you might be able to get enough rest at home. If, however, you have a family filled with children, teenagers, babies, and/or pets, then it is likely that you are going to have to work hard to rest and relax during the day, and having to work at it defeats the purpose. A quiet, soothing environment like you’d find at our wellness retreat goes a long way toward helping you get the rest you need.

Even if you do have a quiet, restful place to recover at home, you might not have someone available to bring you your meals, help you get more comfortable in bed, get you a glass of water, or help you in the bathroom right when you need it. Having this type of pampering is difficult to achieve in the home, but at a wellness retreat, it’s par for the course. At Pearl Recovery Retreat & Wellness, you have a full staff available to help you as needed.

Professional Nursing Staff

After your surgery and during orthopedic rehabilitation, it’s natural to have worries and concerns. Is your surgical site healing the way it should be? What is this new pain on the other side of your body? Is it normal to have a headache, or is it a side effect of the medication you’re taking? Maybe you feel a bit anxious and your heart rate is up, which is making you feel even more anxious. Having a dedicated professional nursing staff right outside your door gives you someone to ask these questions to. You can feel secure knowing that you are being monitored and that if something is amiss, a medical professional will be aware of it right away.

In addition, having nurses nearby means that you will not make any mistakes with your medication; even if you normally would not have this issue, being on painkillers can make you less likely to remember exactly when your last dose was. Nurses can also get into quick contact with your doctor if needed. If you were recovering at home, you would need to wait on hold or for someone to call you back while you sat and worried. At Pearl Recovery Retreat, help is just down the hall.

Types of Orthopedic Rehabilitation Therapies

When you are recovering from orthopedic surgery, you might benefit from a range of alternative services in addition to your regular medical therapies. At Pearl Recovery Retreat, we have quite a few options for you to choose from, including:

  • Hyperbaric therapy: You’ll be able to sit back and relax while breathing in 100 percent oxygen. This increases your rate of healing, reduces pain and discomfort, and can even minimize scarring.
  • IV vitamin therapy: Infusions of vitamin C, zinc, and other nutrients can help speed your healing and reduce your chances of developing complications. Your medical staff will determine the right blend of nutrients and vitamins that you need. Your vitamins will depend on your unique circumstances and condition.
  • Juice cleanses: We offer a variety of juice cleanses for both before and after your orthopedic surgery. These are a combination of bone broths as well as juices made from fruits, vegetables, and herbs.

Delicious, Nutritious Meals

Recovering at home during orthopedic rehabilitation can entail weeks of prep when it comes to your food. You might be making casseroles and other foods that are easy to freeze. Or maybe you will need to depend on friends and family members to bring you your meals. Even when meals are fully prepared, you will still need to put your food on a plate, get yourself set up with silverware, and then wash the dishes afterward. This is neither a relaxing nor the best way to recover from your surgery.

Pearl Recovery Retreat & Wellness offers chef-designed meals that are perfect for your recovery from your orthopedic surgery. When you arrive, you’ll be offered soups and soft snacks to help your body transition to eating after fasting for your surgery. As your appetite gets back to normal, you’ll enjoy in-room dining based on your specific nutritional needs. We offer you foods that are bursting with vitamins, minerals, fiber, and protein to help you get back to normal as soon as possible.

In addition, we can work with your dietary needs. If you are vegetarian or vegan or if you eat only kosher foods, that is no problem. Let us know of any allergies or intolerances, and we will be sure that your food is safe for you. Best of all, there are no dirty dishes to worry about; our staff handles all of the cleanup so you can get back to resting. When it comes to eating during orthopedic rehabilitation, trust the professionals.

Transportation and Other Details Taken Care Of

Finally, at Pearl Recovery Retreat & Wellness, we handle the details of getting you to and from the wellness center. You’ll have transportation from your surgical center to the retreat, and then we can take you back to the surgical center the next day for any needed evaluations.

In addition, we make sure that your dressings are changed as needed, that you get your medication on time and in the correct dosage, and that you have assistance with bathing and dressing as needed. We keep your room clean and dust-free and make your bed for you.

Conclusion

All you need to worry about is resting, healing, and following your doctor’s instructions, which makes your recovery from your orthopedic surgery much quicker and easier than it would be if you were on your own.

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What Is a Mommy Makeover? Is It Right for Me? - Pearl Recovery Retreat & Wellness

What is a Mommy Makeover? Talk to your surgeon and be realistic about your expectations. Contact Pearl Recovery Retreat & Wellness about recovering in our well-appointed facility.

Having children is a gift, and mothers know going into it that carrying and delivering a baby will result in changes to their bodies. Abdominal muscles and skin get stretched out, breast volume changes, and many moms find that they carry fat in places that they never did before having children. Some women feel comfortable with these changes, but others do not.

A “mommy makeover” is a series of procedures that can help moms look more like the women they were before childbirth. Are any of these procedures suitable for you? Here is the lowdown on what they entail, including what you can expect in terms of mommy makeover recovery and results.

What Is a Mommy Makeover, Exactly?

You might look at celebrities who have recently given birth and wonder how they bounce back so quickly. Did they have surgery? While some may have, for the most part, cosmetic procedures are not done in the weeks or months after having a baby. First, your body has been through pregnancy and delivery trauma, so adding another trauma soon after is generally only done when needed. Secondly, the body needs time to settle into its post-pregnancy shape.

A week or a month after having a baby may not necessarily be what you will look like say, after a year. You will likely continue to lose weight for several months, if not longer. If you are breastfeeding your child, your breasts will need time after weaning to settle into their new shape. You also would not want to have a mommy makeover before you are done having babies, as the subsequent pregnancy would cause an additional impact on your abdomen and breasts.

Many celebrities get back into shape after having a baby thanks to having someone available to cook nutritious meals and act as a personal trainer. If you had a trainer prodding you to exercise each day (while ensuring that someone is doting on your new little one, of course), and a chef whose job it was to provide you with the correct caloric intake, then you would probably get into shape more quickly than the average, which is three months to a year.

Since you probably do not have these things, your best bet in the first few months after giving birth will focus on diet, exercise, and sleep (which is difficult with a newborn). The time to think about a mommy makeover will be many months in the future after your baby is weaned and after you are sure you are done having babies.

What Does a Mommy Makeover Include?

Breast Lift and Augmentation

Whether or not you breastfeed, pregnancy tends to cause your breasts to swell. After the baby is born, they will swell even more when your milk comes in. At some point, your breasts will stop making milk and, at that point, they might look saggy and deflated. As the years pass and gravity takes its toll, your breasts might not look like they once did. A breast lift and augmentation can help.

Most women who have breast augmentation surgery will have a good deal of pain in the first few days after the procedure. Having an adult around to prepare meals, help you shower, and otherwise care for you will be imperative. A stay in a recovery retreat is a great way to relax and allow your body to recuperate.

Tummy Tuck

After your abdomen stretches during pregnancy, it takes some time for the muscles and skin to go back to normal. While most women notice a substantial improvement over the first year or so after giving birth, many will continue to have a “pouch” of fat or excess skin that sticks around. Those who gave birth by cesarean section might notice this more than those who gave birth vaginally, but it also depends on the muscle tone in the area and whether the muscles have separated.

A tummy tuck removes some extra fat and skin and “tucks” it all together with sutures. It can also remove some of the stretch marks in the area. After your tummy tuck, you will have some pain and draining for several days, so you might consider a stay in our recovery retreat to allow you to heal. Remember that at Pearl Recovery Retreat & Wellness, you will have staff dedicated to helping you recuperate, including a chef who will prepare you with nutritious meals.

Liposuction

During pregnancy, your body will hold onto extra fat in the hips, thighs, and other areas of the body. This is partially for insurance that you will be able to sustain your fetus and, later, your breastfeeding baby in case you become malnourished. While this excess fat is beneficial during pregnancy and breastfeeding, sometimes it stubbornly sticks around for years after the baby has weaned.

Liposuction is a procedure that can remove some of those excess fat stores. The fat is liquefied and then removed via suction. Most women can get back to their regular activities after two weeks, but the first few days can be painful. Consider having someone stay with you or staying in a recovery retreat facility.

Is a Mommy Makeover Right for Me?

Because a mommy makeover is a cosmetic surgery and there are no risks to not doing the procedures, most surgeons will not do it if you are not in good health. If you are in good physical health, it is essential to think about how you will recover, whether you:

  • Have adequate help at home.
  • Will be able to take time off from work, if applicable.
  • Trust the person or people who will be caring for your children.

It is also essential to be honest with yourself about how you will feel if you do not look exactly like you did pre-pregnancy. Talk to your surgeon and be realistic about what you can expect. Also, contact Pearl Recovery Retreat & Wellness to learn about whether recovering in our well-appointed facility is right for you.

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What to Know About the Postoperative Healing Process - Pearl Recovery Retreat & Wellness

A lot of thought and preparation often goes into a planned surgery. You might spend a lot of time arranging for childcare, making sure that you have someone to drive you, and following your doctor’s instructions for preparing yourself to have surgery safely. For example, you might need to start or stop taking a particular medication, not eat after a specific time, and avoid certain foods in the days or weeks leading up to the procedure. You might think that the day of your surgery is the end of your journey, but of course, you must still go through the postoperative healing process. Here are five things to know about healing up after surgery.

Your Body’s Immediate Postoperative Healing Effects

Even before you are awake in your recovery room after your surgery, your body will be doing the work of beginning to heal. Your blood will begin to clot around your incision, and your immune system will send out white blood cells to help protect against infection. On average, it takes about six days for the incision to get through the postoperative healing process, but it begins right away, as soon as you are stitched or stapled up.

Looking at your incision site each day will help you identify any troubling signs before turning into a real problem. For example, if you notice problematic drainage, calling your doctor right away can prevent it from turning into an infection. If you are staying at a surgical recovery center, the staff can help you monitor your wound. They will know what types of drainage and appearances are standard and which could indicate a problem, so you will get the reassurance or the treatment you need faster than if you were alone at home.

Appetite Stimulation After Surgery

You probably had to fast for some time before your surgery, and you might expect to wake up ravenous. However, most of the time, people who have had surgery have a hard time with their digestion for some period. There are a few reasons for this.

  1. First, you might feel nauseous or not hungry. The medications you had during your procedure can do this to you. So can the procedure itself, depending on what part of your body was worked on.
  2. Secondly, the anesthesia can cause your digestive system to slow down substantially, leading to bloating, gas, and constipation. Getting up and moving around (more about that in a minute) can help.
  3. Finally, when you are sore from your surgery, it can be hard to get the food you want and need. To heal properly, you need to eat healthy foods. You might crave easy-to-eat foods like yogurt, soups, and small portions of chicken, eggs, fish, or roasted vegetables. Unless you have someone cooking for you, you might need to get up and prepare these foods yourself, which is problematic. If you stay at a surgery recovery center, this part of the equation will be taken care of for you. At Pearl Recovery Retreat, we have dedicated chefs who will be preparing your meals to help you heal.

Early Postoperative Physical Activity Is a Must

Even if you’ve had a knee or hip replacement surgery, you might be surprised at how quickly your nurses will be asking you to get up and move around. Yes, this can be painful, and no, they are not trying to torture you! Moving around is vital to help with blood circulation and to ward off potentially deadly complications, including deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism.

Movement is a must yet challenging because it is painful, and someone else’s help is usually needed. After certain surgeries, it is tough to recuperate at home, mainly if you will be alone or have young children who do not understand that your mobility is limited. At Pearl Recovery Retreat, we have the staff available to help you to get around and to encourage you back on your feet as soon as it is safely possible for you.

Postoperative Relaxation Is Vital

Doing too much too soon is a common mistake after surgery. It is natural to feel like you need to get back to your everyday routines, but the fact is, not relaxing can extend your postoperative healing process. Your body needs to rest and get extra sleep to renew tissues that were damaged during your surgery and heal from the physical trauma.

Even if you are physically able to do your job (for example, if you work at a desk), having pain, taking medications, and feeling like you are not on your “A-game” can decrease productivity. It will be better for you and your employer, clients, and customers if you take some time to relax without working if possible.

If you are taking medications, they might have side effects that make it dangerous for you to drive, take care of young children on your own, or take on other responsibilities that generally are not a problem for you. Take your medication as prescribed, and do not try to do anything potentially dangerous while taking them. This is particularly important if you are taking muscle relaxants or narcotic pain medications.

Mental and Physical Health Are Fundamentally Linked, Equally Important

Did you know that stress, anxiety, depression, and isolation can prolong the postoperative healing process of your body and physical health overall? The mind-body connection is strong, and it is essential to take care of your mental health while recuperating from your surgery.

At Pearl Recovery Retreat, we have various treatments and therapies that are excellent for restoring mental health. For example, massage can be both relaxing and rejuvenating. Just having someone to talk to can also go a long way toward alleviating fears or helping you to feel better. Contact us to determine whether Pearl is the right place for you to be during your recovery after your surgical procedure.

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