Question:
aftercare did you do after your tummy tuck

I had my tummy tuck on Wednesday 8/7/02. At the same time, I had liposuction on my arms. My doctor put large sterile bandages where he had done the liposuction on my arms and then he wrapped both of my arms in ace bandages from my shoulder to my elbow. The bandages are TIGHT but not cutting off circulation. As far as my tummy, I saw it for the first and only time on Thursday and he had large sterile bandages across the tummy and he had placed a mesh like cloth soaked in polysporin on the incision (hip to hip incision only). He then put my binder on me. I have 2 drainage tubes coming out of my crotch. I empty them 2 or 3 times a day. I also put hydrogen peroxide on the drainage tubes. I verified with him and the nurse that I didn't need to do anything with the arms or the tummy until my appointment with him on Monday. They said to leave them alone since the polysporin bandages would keep things clean on my tummy and he would change the bandages for me on Monday. He told me to call him if there was any odor or drainage coming out (there hasn't been). I guess I just want confirmation from others who've had this done if this has been your type of aftercare. I haven't had any problems - no bad smells (even though I can't take a shower until Monday!!) or other drainages. Please let me know what your aftercare consisted of the first couple of weeks. Also, when did you get your drainage tubes taken out?? He told me he wouldn't take them out until it was only producing 30cc or less in a 24 hour time period. Thanks!!    — Patty H. (posted on August 10, 2002)

August 10, 2002
Hi: I had my tt and a breast lift on 7/16. I had a drain out of each breast and two in my tummy. I STILL have one left in the tummy area (near the crotch!!) I hate it. My doc had me changing the dressings everyday. However, now I only have some gauze around the drain area and one over my belly button (I am having some trouble there) I will go and see him on Monday again. (Was just there on Friday) They are hoping my drainage has gone down. I am still producing 40ish everyday. But like you, they want it to be under 30 cc's for 2 days before they take it out. So, currently, I'm still doing the hydragine peroxide twice a day. Oh, and they also have had me (still do) on some antibotic to prevent any infection. I think I'll stop that when the drain comes out. Good luck
   — Karen A.

August 10, 2002
Tummy tuck & lipo 6/12/02. My bandages stayed in place for the first couple days. After that, every morning I showered with antibacterial soap, put neosporin on the incisions, gauze over that and put a new binding around my tummy area. The incisions for the lipo healed VERY quickly and I did very little with them. I just stuck gauze pads on top of the neosporin at the entry site and when they fell off later I left them off until I reshowered. Oh and I payed extra close attention to cleaning, putting neosporin and a gauze pad (in a cone shape) in my belly button. Doing things this way my incisions healed extremely fast with no sign of infection, well until they had to pull out my running stitches at three weeks (a whole nother story!) and got infection in one area then.
   — Shelly S.

August 10, 2002
I had my TT (anchor incision) and armlift in November. My arms were wrapped in gauze and Ace bandages for the first 3 days, then the dressings were changed and only gauze wraps were replaced. I had a little drainage from one area on one arm for a week or so, but no drains and no special treatment to that site. I had four drains after my TT...two on each side of my lower abdomen where my thighs join my hips. My surgeon believes in leaving these drains in until there is little or no drainage at all. Two of the drains were removed two weeks post-op, the third was removed on the third week, but the last stayed in for seven weeks....totally painless, but a nuisance. I showered daily with an antibacterial soap (Dial)....cleansed the drain sites with hydrogen peroxide, then applied Neosporin ointment and a gauze pad daily. I usually emptied the drains 2-3 times/day. There was no lipo involved with my surgery, so a binder wasn't necessary. I had no infections or problems at all and couldn't be happier with the results :-) Good luck!
   — Diana T.