There are two sides to every aesthetic procedure — the physical and the emotional. While a dissatisfaction with the appearance of their body contour is what brings patients into one of my Boston area offices for an initial consultation, it is often how you talk about your feelings that gives me the most information in terms of devising an appropriate treatment plan. Social media has only served to make this in-person consultation more critical as it allows patients to gather a ton of information about various procedures but without any context. It is incredibly common for a patient to tell me that she wants X procedure when it is Y that will best address her emotional and physical needs. Furthermore, with the tummy tuck specifically, you may also experience an emotional roller coaster after surgery. I spend a lot of time going through exactly what you can expect, physically and emotionally, as I’ve found that when a patient is properly prepared, any dips in mood are easier to navigate. Here are some things to consider in terms of the emotional side of a tummy tuck.
Flatter Tummy is Not How Patients Describe What They Want
While the goal of any successful tummy tuck is a flatter, more lifted looking abdominal area, patients rarely come in asking for a flatter stomach. Instead, a woman will often say that she:
- Doesn’t like how she looks in photos
- Wants to feel more comfortable in her clothes
- The body she sees in the mirror isn’t her
- Feels disconnected from her body after pregnancy and/or weight loss
- Frustrated that goes to gym every day and still feels pregnant
A lot of my job as a Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon who specializes in body contouring is to read between the lines during our initial meetings. Since childbirth and pregnancy often take an adverse toll on the skin and tissues of your abdomen so that no amount of healthful eating or intense exercise will alleviate the pooch, many of my tummy tuck patients are mothers. And there is a lot of “mom guilt” about even considering surgery. Many women feel as if it’s wrong to take time away from their children to do something just for themselves. The critical thing to understand, however, is that when you feel happier in your skin, this has an extremely positive effect on everyone around you. A tummy tuck is a robust procedure with more significant downtime for recovery, but it is also one with high patient satisfaction as long as you understand what to expect.
Tummy Tuck Recovery in Boston
Managing your expectations begins long before we set foot in the operating room (OR). My team and I will take all the time that you need to walk you through every step of your recovery from both a physical and emotional standpoint. To begin, you are not going to see your results immediately. Instead, you will have undergone this fairly intense procedure and your abdominal area will be swollen. This will cause pain, and you will not be able to stand erect or do a lot of things for yourself. This may result in you feeling “blue”. It can also takes weeks to begin to see the flatter abdomen that you desire which is frustrating, and can make you feel “buyer’s remorse”. Patience is critical during your first 3 weeks post-op. By week 4, the swelling typically starts to go down, your clothes fit better and the joy of a new body kicks in.
To find out more a tummy tuck, or any other surgical or non-surgical procedure with Dr. Sean Doherty at his Boston or Chestnut Hill office, contact us today or call (617) 450-0070 to schedule a consultation.