Because most abdominoplasty patients require a tightening of the muscles of the abdominal wall to achieve the best result, the recovery can be prolonged. It can take 3 months to return to all activities including sit-ups. Dr Stradwick usually recommends 3 weeks off of work particularly if any manual labour such as lifting is involved.

At the 3 week mark most patients can return to light duties and low impact exercise (walking). At 6 weeks patients can perform most activities but would still need to avoid activities that strain the abdominal wall. This would include heavy work and high impact exercises. Overall the recovery is slow and steady and this needs to be taken into consideration when contemplating this procedure.

The minor complication rate is high relative to other cosmetic procedures mainly because the wound is so large. Not only is the visible incision long but there is a large raw area healing underneath this. For this reason the chance of minor wound problems is relatively high. These problems usually settle on their own and only rarely require re-operation.

All scars take about 12 months to flatten and fade completely. Most of the improvement occurs in the first 3 months but it continues to improve well beyond this time. There are various techniques Dr Stradwick uses to minimize scarring and he is well known for his ability to deliver the best possible scar. There is always an element of the scarring process that is determined by genetics and this is beyond the control of the surgeon. However, even in such patients careful attention to detail will still give the best result possible for that patient.

One of the common complications of abdominoplasty is seroma – a collection of fluid beneath the wound that sometimes requires drainage. The use of drains reduces the risk of this problem. Dr Stradwick also uses a technique known as plication that further reduces the risk. In most cases the drains are removed within 72 hours.

If the muscle layer of the abdomen is repaired as part of the abdominoplasty procedure this does cause more discomfort than if skin only is removed. To minimize the discomfort Dr Stradwick uses pain pumps which are inserted into the muscle layer at the time of surgery. These pumps continuously deliver anaesthetic solution into the wound and greatly reduce the need for oral pain medication. Again this slows down the operation but Dr Stradwick feels that it is definitely worth the effort.