Tummy tuck in Tijuana · Day 1 of 10
Day 1 after a tummy tuck in Tijuana
You are in hospital. The team will help you up for short walks and show you how to look after any drains. The picks below are for your companion, all close to the clinic district.
Short answer
On day 1 after a tummy tuck in Tijuana:
- Not today Lifting and straining · Exercise · Showers, baths and pools · Flying home
- With care Walking · Compression garment · Sleeping position
For your companion today: Tijuana tacos and craft beer tour, Telefónica Gastro Park, Seafood tostada stands.
Today's rules
Walking
Get up and walk a little as soon as your team allows, usually within the first day or two and with help at first. You may not be able to stand fully upright yet; that improves.
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.
Day 1: you are in hospital
Follow the ward team. Walking the corridor when the nurses say so is the most useful thing you can do today. The picks below are for your companion, all within a short ride of the clinic district.
Tijuana tacos and craft beer tour
Taco stands and breweries across the city.
A few hours on foot with breaks, some open-air walking, about 5 hours
Telefónica Gastro Park
Food trucks and craft beer around an open-air courtyard in the evening.
Gentle walking, shaded or covered, about 2 hours
Seafood tostada stands
Ceviche, shrimp and octopus piled on crunchy tostadas at the city's mariscos stands.
Gentle walking, shaded or covered, about 1 hour
Playas de Tijuana seafront and the border wall
A flat seafront walk to where the border fence runs into the Pacific, covered in murals.
Gentle walking, some open-air walking, about 1.5 hours
Nothing to skip today
Nothing on our Tijuana list breaks today's rules. Keep following the food and care rules above.
Where to eat today
- Churros. Hot fried dough with sugar, from street carts. Crunchy.
- Craft beer on Plaza Fiesta. A cluster of small breweries in Zona Río.
- Caldo de res or caldo de pollo. Beef or chicken broth with soft vegetables, at any fonda. Let it cool after dental work.
Put every day of this guide in your calendar, with your dates