Tummy tuck in Medellín · Day 4 of 10
Day 4 after a tummy tuck in Medellín
Soreness usually eases through the first week. A quiet museum or garden near your hotel works if you can walk there and back without strain.
Short answer
On day 4 after a tummy tuck in Medellín:
- Not today Lifting and straining · Exercise · Showers, baths and pools · Flying home
- With care Walking · Compression garment · Sleeping position
Good options today: Pueblito Paisa on Cerro Nutibara, Medellín Botanical Garden, Cafés in Provenza, El Poblado.
Today's rules
Walking
Walk every day, a little more than the day before. Walking helps blood flow and lowers the risk of clots and pneumonia. Between walks, move your feet and legs often.
Source: Kaiser Permanente · Acibadem International
Lifting and straining
For 6 weeks, avoid lifting anything that makes you strain, such as a suitcase, heavy shopping bags or a child. Let your companion carry the bags.
Source: Kaiser Permanente
Exercise
No abdominal exercises and nothing strenuous, such as cycling, jogging, weights or aerobics, for 6 to 8 weeks.
Source: Kaiser Permanente · NHS
Compression garment
Wear the compression garment all the time except in the shower. The NHS says it is usually worn for about 6 weeks; your surgeon sets the date.
Source: Kaiser Permanente · NHS
Showers, baths and pools
Showering usually starts 24 to 48 hours after surgery or once the drains are out, as your surgeon says. No bath for at least 2 weeks, and ask your surgeon before pools, the sea, hot tubs or the hammam.
Source: Kaiser Permanente · Acibadem International
Sleeping position
Rest with your upper body raised and pillows under your knees. Keeping your knees bent takes tension off the stitches.
Source: NHS · Acibadem International
Flying home
Not yet. Surgeons usually ask you to stay near the hospital for about one to two weeks before a long flight, and the CDC advises medical tourists to wait at least 10 days after abdominal surgery.
Source: Acibadem International · U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · NHS
Confirm with your surgeon. These are general activity limits from published aftercare guidance. Your clinic's written instructions always come first, and they may be stricter or looser for your procedure.
4 things you can do today
Pueblito Paisa on Cerro Nutibara
A replica Antioquian village on a hilltop in the city, with views over Medellín. A short taxi ride up.
Gentle walking, some open-air walking, about 1.5 hours
Medellín Botanical Garden
Free gardens with an orchid house and shaded paths, next to Parque Explora.
Gentle walking, shaded or covered, about 1.5 hours
Cafés in Provenza, El Poblado
Leafy streets of cafés and small shops close to many clinics. Sit with a juice or a coffee.
Seated, shaded or covered, about 1.5 hours
Parque Explora and aquarium
An interactive science museum with a large freshwater aquarium. Indoors.
Gentle walking, indoors, about 2.5 hours
Also fine today: Museo Casa de la Memoria · Colombian cooking class · Metrocable ride over the hillsides · El Tesoro or Santafé mall · Museum of Modern Art of Medellín (MAMM) · Colombian cacao and chocolate workshop
2 things to skip today
Guatapé and El Peñol day trip
Why not: Too much walking and effort for this stage. About 2 hours each way is too long a ride for this stage.
Not during the 10 days this guide covers. Ask your surgeon when it is safe.
Museo de Antioquia and Plaza Botero
Why not: Dense crowds where you could be knocked.
Usually fine from day 8.
Where to eat today
- Fresh fruit juices. Jugos of lulo, maracuyá, guanábana or mango, made with water or milk at any café.
- Sancocho or mondongo soup. Hearty chicken, beef or tripe soups with vegetables, served at lunch with rice and avocado.
- Buñuelos and natilla. Cheese dough balls and a soft custard-like dessert, in bakeries all year.
Put every day of this guide in your calendar, with your dates