Halifax Tummy Tuck

Please be aware that there will be graphic photos in this post. I have moved them all to the bottom in a gallery for sensitivity purposes. ❤️

I am beyond thrilled to have my drains GONE and to have finally seen what my $12000 tummy looks like! 😂 In all seriousness, though, today was a big milestone I’d been counting down to and it was really exciting to get the drain out and the bandages off and see, for the first time, what I’m working with!

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Per my surgeon’s requirements, my drains were in place for a full 7 days post-op. Some surgeons do a drain-less surgery, which (like everything else) has its pros and cons. Although I hated my drain, I actually wanted the drain post-op and it was a reason why I chose Dr. Bendor-Samuel.

During the muscle repair aspect of the procedure, the muscles are actually separated from the fascia and skin and there is a lot of manipulation of muscle tissues. Because I had a pretty serious diastasis split, there was a LOT of manipulation involved in closing the gap up. The drain served the purpose of ensuring that fluid won’t build up between my skin, fascia, and muscles which could cause a seroma. A seroma is a pocket of clear serous fluid. They may sometimes develop in the body after surgery, particularly after an abdominoplasty. While it’s a treatable complication, we like no complications around here!

The drain removal was super quick and (for me) painless. I’d read some people feel sharp pain or a suction-y feeling (gross??) but I truly didn’t feel a thing. I almost recorded it all but I wasn’t sure how long it would take or how weird that might be so I didn’t and now I regret it. Womp womp.

The appointment began with removing the huge adhesive patch covering 2/3 of my stomach. I was buzzing with anticipation to see what was going on under there! I currently have a frankentummy but I know it will all improve from here.

(Photos are slightly graphic below — please be warned!)

Once the bandage was off, the nurse examined my incision quickly (I still have Steri-strips on) and did her best to get some of the adhesive off my skin. Then, it was time for the drains to be removed.

A tiny suture held each of the two separate tubes in place, so she began by cutting those and then opening the reservoir. Finally, she instructed me to take a few deep breaths and before I knew it they were gone. She popped a large sterile dressing over the holes and that was that.

Before I left, she walked me through basic wound care and advised me on what to do between today and my next appointment, which is on Monday, when I’ll see Dr. Bendor-Samuel again and discuss scar healing/treatment options.

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How It’s Looking (PHOTOS BELOW)

As you can see in the photos, there’s still a significant amount of swelling in my tummy right now and there’s a lot of healing left to do. As my neural pathways continue to be re-established, my stomach actually feels numb and super weird with the occasional shooting or sharp pain. Meanwhile, my muscles – which have permanent stitches in them – are feeling quite tender but not necessarily sore.

My skin is still a bit pink from the sterile wash they used pre-op, and there are still some remnants of adhesive and permanent marker here and there.

On a scale of 1-10, my general pain is about 2-3 at its worst. I mostly just feel tired and like my body went through the ringer. Truly, the worst pain I experienced was the first night post-op when I rang in at about 6 or 7 after getting up and using the bathroom for the first time. From there on, it’s been steadily below 5.

The incision looks really angry right now because there’s dried blood crusted beneath the Steri-Strips but this will look way better as they fall off (a couple are loose now). I plan to keep the strips on per the nurse’s recommendation until about Day 12, which will be Saturday – which coincides with a date night out! Huzzah!

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Wound Care

The wound care is pretty simple but I thought maybe it would be helpful to include here.

1. Keep it clean. I’m ecstatic to be on medical orders to shower daily after a week of dreaming of it! The first order of business is to have a shower and wash my incision daily with unscented, antibacterial soap.
2. Saline wash. Soaking a sterile gauze in saline, I wash the incision twice a day (once before or after my shower and once before bed).
3. Steri-Strips. The Steri-Strips protect my incision as it heals and can be worn for up to two weeks post-op. I’ll replace any that pop off between now and Day 12, being mindful to wash the skin and dry it gently before reapplying.
4. Bandage or gauze drain site. For the first 24 hours, I’m using a large sterile pad over the drain site as it continues to ooze a little while healing, but after 24 hours I can use a small bandage or a sanitary pad tucked inside my undies. Easy peasy.
5. Polysporin. Though not a requirement with my surgeon, I chose to grab Polysporin and slap a bit over the drain site before bandaging it up today because I can.

Of course, I wear my binder all day except when showering! The compression from the binder supports healing and reduces swelling, and it also feels really good right now as everything is loosey-goosey. I’m glad I have a few to swap between, too, because it’s so nice to be able to put a clean one on and do washes without feeling pressured on time.