As you know, “mommy makeover” combines a tummy tuck with a breast operation, in your case an augmentation-mastopexy.
Individually, these are both somewhat significant operations. Combined, they will undoubtedly result in a period of moderate discomfort post-operatively.
Your recovery will be somewhat more difficult than following your c-section. That said, 10 days should be more than sufficient for return to a non-strenuous desk job.
Most of my mommy makeover patients are off narcotic pain medication by 4 days post-op, back to work by 7-10 days, and back to most normal activities by 2 weeks. (Joshua D. Zuckerman, MD, FACS, New York Plastic Surgeon)
The expected recovery time is six to eight weeks post surgery. It is recommended to plan to be off work for 2 weeks after a mommy makeover procedure.
Most patients can return to a sedentary job 8-14 days and can begin full impact activities 4 weeks post surgery.
You can expect to require more sleep and to experience fatigue after daily routine activities. Every patient’s recovery is unique and it is important to listen to your body. (Scott Chapin, MD, FACS, Philadelphia Plastic Surgeon)
Generally, patients need a minimum of two weeks after the procedures you are considering to go back to light work such as what you describe. 10 days may be early to return to your duties, but some patients are able to return to a desk job.
The pain from a TT is similar to the discomfort from a c-section. You will have additional pain from the breast surgery.
If you did well after your c-section, this a good sign that your recovery could be on the shorter side.(Shim Ching, MD, Honolulu Plastic Surgeon)When it comes to any surgery, it is important to give your body time to heal, or complications can arise. Usually, patients take around six weeks to heal from mommy makeover surgery, though this recovery time can vary from patient to patient.
I would discuss this information with your surgeon to get a better idea of how long he thinks your recovery time will take. (Jonathan Berman, MD, Boca Raton Plastic Surgeon)
Since a mommy makeover consists of multiple procedures, the recovery time will depend on how well the individual patient can tolerate multiple surgeries, as well as the extent of the surgery. For example, a complete tummy tuck involves more than a partial tummy tuck and may require more downtime.
Most patients can expect to be back to their basic, normal routines within 10-14 days, with the caveat that any strenuous activity should be cleared by your surgeon. Although it is tempting to return to regular activities immediately, it is important to schedule enough time for the body to adequately heal–even if you are fit. (Miguel Delgado, MD, San Francisco Plastic Surgeon)Mommy makeover surgery is a pretty big operation. I typically have a woman spend the night at the surgical facility rather than go home only to have kids clamoring for her attention. Women tend to feel really really tired for about a week, and they walk bent over for about 5 days.
The breasts and the abdomen feel tight (that’s kind of the idea, right?) for a couple weeks but this improves as swelling goes down and the tissues stretch a bit. I prefer that a woman not drive a car for 7 to 10 days, and certainly not while she’s taking narcotic pain medications.Most women will want to take 2 or 3 weeks off from work, but many will be able to work at home if they want after the first 4 or 5 days. When a woman who has undergone mommy makeover surgery does return to work she usually feels tired after a few hours.
It might be best not to schedule a normal, full day at work for at least 3 weeks. While it might be possible to return to regular duty full time work after 10 days or so, most women really do better waiting about 3 weeks. As with most major surgery, full activity including working out and/or running should not be done until at least 6 weeks after a mommy makeover procedure. (Kelly R. Kunkel, MD, Fort Worth Plastic Surgeon)
About 2-3 weeks if all goes well
2 weeks should be enough if your job does not involve physical activities.No lifting over 5 lbs, pushing and bending.You will need at least 4 to 6 weeks for your body to heal to start physical activities. (Martin Yanez, MD, Mexico Plastic Surgeon)
Minimum: 2 Weeks! And You Can Go Back To Work
The mommy makeover is a great procedure to address all of the areas that you mention, but realize it will be a big procedure and you want to make sure you give yourself an adequate amount of downtime so you don’t jeopardize your results or your health.
The fact you were up and cleaning 5 days after a C-section shows that you have a high pain tolerance, but with the mommy makeover you will have more sore areas and more potential to injure yourself if you are too ambitious too early! It is helpful that you have a desk job… you will be able to go back sooner than someone who has to lift or be on their feet all day, but I always tell my patients to take a minimum of 2 weeks off before going back to even a sedentary job full time. (The surgery just does take a lot out of you early on!)
If there are some parts of your job that you can do at home, you may be able to start on that at about 10 days, but do not expect a full normal day out of yourself before 2 weeks… and you probably feel it by the end of the day for that first week back!
Remember that you are making a big investment in yourself to have a surgery like this… you want to get as much benefit from it as you can, and the best results possible.Do yourself a favor and don’t try to rush things too fast post-op, it can lead to worse scars and complications that could have been avoided. (Marie E. Montag, MD, Omaha Plastic Surgeon)With a full mommy makeover including breast lift and implants with a tummy tuck and liposuction I would recommend approximately 10 days to 2 weeks off work.
This is assuming the patient has a desk type job.
Everybody recovers differently and some people feel better sooner than others, however it is extremely rare to have a patient who is not able to at least manage basic deskwork after a two-week period.
I would advise most patients against pushing much sooner than 7-10 days as they often have a sense of fatigue and may slow down the healing process if they are over doing things too quickly.For patients who have more physical work such as a massage therapist or a job that requires lifting a lot of things the patient may need to request light duty for a longer period of time to allow the body to heal properly. I generally prefer patients avoid lifting anything heavy for at least 4-6 weeks after a mommy makeover. (Robert Cohen, MD, Santa Monica Plastic Surgeon)
Patients Typically Return To Some Activity, Including Light-duty Work 12 To 14 Days After Mommy Makeover
Keep in mind that most surgeons will request that patients refrain from any exercising and/or physical activity for four-six weeks following their procedure because any strenuous activity can increase a patients risk for a post-operative complication.
With all this said, I would recommend that you defer to your operating surgeon’s recommendations for time off from work. (Stephen T. Greenberg, MD, Woodbury Plastic Surgeon)
Do you have quadruplets at home the age of three? Do you run a forklift or do any heavy lifting when you are required to go back to work? etc. etc.If you catch my drift it really depends on what is expected of you in your life once you have to return to it after your procedure.
Can you get time off work? Can you get help with the kids at home? Do you need to coach the soccer team, or are you an actual player on the soccer team?
In my practice we ask our patients to limit any significant physical activity for 6 weeks.
this includes housework, picking up anything more than a half gallon of milk, limit driving for the first 10 days especially if you are under the influence from pain medications.I have had patients go back to work at 10 days, but they are tired and when they come home at the end of the day they hit the bedroom and sleep until the next day. You will be tired for this period of time and expect it. Nurture yourself. Cut out the Black Tie events.don’t plan your daughters wedding.. or fly to Europe. Just take it EASY! (Kimberly A. Henry, MD, Greenbrae Plastic Surgeon)
Today, with the NO Drain technique and 24-hour rapid recovery protocolyou should be back to doing things at about 24 hours.
In other words, you are recovered so that youcan go out to dinner, out for a walk and even go shopping but you are nothealed.
Healing to the point that youhave no discomfort and can lift heavy weights takes about 4 to 6 weeks dependingupon the amount of muscle repair you have to have done in your tummy.
Your tummy tuck and not the breastaugmentation will slow you down the most but you should be able to get back toa desk job in 4 to 5 days. I have hadnurses who are very active at their job back to work at 10 days following abreast augmentation and full tummy tuck or abdominoplasty. I have added a video and a linkwith more information for you. (Brian Windle, MD, Kirkland Plastic Surgeon)
I think that the recovery time you point out of 10 days will not be enough for you . Recovery time and post- op care can be as important as the surgery itself. You must not rush things because you can then have complications that may further delay your recovery time. You will need about 4-6 weeks for a full recovery. (Derby Sang Caputo, MD, Dominican Republic Plastic Surgeon)Mommy needs rest (recovery after mommy makeover)
Based on my experience, after a patient undergoes a breast augmentation, lift, and tummy tuck with lipo of the waists, patients are able to go back to work in a desk job / part-time capacity approximately 2 weeks after surgery. However, my recommendations would be no heavy lifting or strenuous activity for 5-6 weeks to allow your incisions to heal. If you choose to go back to a desk job (sitting) 2 weeks after surgery, you will likely have to wear compression garments (ie a tummy binder or garments like spanx) underneath your clothes. (C. Bob Basu, MD, FACS, Houston Plastic Surgeon)
About one week for non-physical work
Mommy makeover is a procedure that requires minimum of one week recovery time. Taking you have a job that doesn’t involve lifting and carrying heavy items you should be comfortable to come back to work after that time. You still might experience swelling and feeling sore, but that should resolve with time. (Gregory Turowski, MD, PhD, FACS, Chicago Plastic Surgeon)
How long do I need off from a desk job after a Mommy Makeover?
My recommendation to my patients is that they take 2 weeks off, but depending on your exact job responsibilities the ten days off may be enough. I would add that when patients do return to work a bit earlier they definitely do seem to have a few more problems in the recovery period, but in my experience these tend to be self limited problems that take care of themselves over time. There should be no question that you would probably rather not have these problems, but they are usually minor. (Armando Soto, MD, FACS, Orlando Plastic Surgeon)
Minimum recovery time for mommy makeoverThe minimum recovery time for a mommy makeover is a few days, but for typical mommy makeovers one week would be the normal amount of time to take off from work. Larger procedures and older patients may require more time, of course. I have two patients (both surgeons themselves) who returned to work one day after their mommy makeovers. They were able to do it but said they would not recommend it to others. The size of the tummy tuck is the most important factor in determining the recovery time. I also find that Exparel local anesthetic, which last three days, is very helpful at diminishing recovery time following a mommy makeover. (David Stoker, MD, Los Angeles Plastic Surgeon)
Liposuction amount is the deciding factor
I tell patients with desk type jobs they need at least 10 days for recovery after a mommy makeover. What tends to dictate the recovery period is the amount of liposuction required. at 116 pounds you will likely need only a modest amount of liposuction so seven to ten days is likely a safe number. (Robert Steely, MD, FACS, Houston Plastic Surgeon)