Is it alright to eat after your tummy tuck? We always say YES. And now a scientific study backs this up.

A recent medical study has confirmed quicker recovery for people who eat soon after their tummy tuck procedure. In fact, on major surgery society now states that withholding oral intake of food in patients after abdominoplasty (“tummy tuck”) may not be necessary, and that feeding patients earlier could allow for quicker discharge after surgery. Findings from a study investigating the impact of early feeding after tummy tuck on the occurrence of postoperative nausea and vomiting is published in the May/June 2007 issue of the Aesthetic Surgery Journal, the Society’s official peer-reviewed journal. These findings are important because tummy tuck is a popular cosmetic surgical procedure. This would seem to also hold, in our experience, for when we do our Rodeo Drive Mommy Makeover procedure. This includes not only a tummy tuck, but also often a breast augmentation or breast lift and liposuction.

Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) is among the most disagreeable experiences associated with surgery, causing dehydration and retching, which can lead to poor wound healing, among other adverse effects. While postoperative management of patients undergoing tummy tuck has traditionally involved withholding food until patients demonstrate evidence of bowel activity, this practice requires patients to remain in the hospital for the administration of intravenous fluids to prevent dehydration. However, no literature exists to support this practice. Our standard is not to do this, whether for our tummy tucks or for our Beverly Hills liposuction procedures.

Although the findings are promising, physicians remain cautiously optimistic about a full transition to ambulatory tummy tuck. It does not diminish some of the benefits of postoperative hospital admission. Adequate pain control, maintenance of a semi-flexed position, and patient and surgeon preference are important variables to consider when choosing between admission and discharge. We have found this to be the case for all patients, not just when we do celebrity plastic surgery.

“This study demonstrates that early feeding of tummy tuck patients may prevent the need for postoperative hospital admission for intravenous hydration—at minimum in those patients who can maintain adequate hydration with oral intake alone—and allow for faster hospital discharge,” said a plastic surgeon in New York, NY, lead author of the study. “While there may be other reasons for admission, routine postoperative admission to prevent dehydration may not be necessary. These findings could change the way we care for our postoperative plastic surgery patients, improving their comfort and safety, and saving on health care costs.” As a Beverly Hills cosmetic surgeon, I have found similar results in my practice.

We believe that liposuction can be used to create immediate and dramatic lifestyle changes. We have developed a program to provide Beverly Hills liposuction on a dramatic scale, to create a first step to changing body appearance. Where liposuction has generally not been used to create weight loss, it has been used to treat full areas in people who overall are in very good shape. On the other hand, large volume liposuction has had some issues that make it unattractive to surgeons and patients. People must be admitted to the hospital following liposuction of greater than five liters. This is because liposuction on this scale can be dangerous.

But we think that people can have liposuction on a scale to jump-start their body change on a large and impressive scale. We call the program, Your First Year of Your Diet in a day. This new liposuction approach takes people who need to lose weight and helps them get a powerful start. Following the procedure, they look much better. The feel better. And their confidence is improved. They are in a position to take things to the next level with diet and exercise. They are in a position to make awesome changes in their lives.

The program is not for everyone. They must be in good overall health. They must be in touch with their plastic surgeon following the procedure for frequent visits following this innovative liposuction in Beverly Hills. They must be preparuddy for a longer period of swelling following the procedures, and that results will not be visible for quite a few weeks following this liposculpture.

We believe that people struggling with their weight can have a plastic surgery option. It will allow them to get a powerful and running start on making positive changes in their appearance, lifestyle, and health. It is not the final step. But this sort of Beverly Hills liposuction is a powerful first step to greatly improved body appearance and self-esteem. It works for qualified candidates, and not just for celebrity plastic surgery.