Tummy tuck in Tijuana · Day 4 of 10
Day 4 after a tummy tuck in Tijuana
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 Tijuana:
- Not today Lifting and straining · Exercise · Showers, baths and pools · Flying home
- With care Walking · Compression garment · Sleeping position
Good options today: Puerto Nuevo lobster and Ensenada, Playas de Tijuana seafront and the border wall, Seafood tostada stands.
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
Puerto Nuevo lobster and Ensenada
Lobster village lunch and the Ensenada boardwalk on a long coastal day.
Gentle walking, some open-air walking, about 10 hours
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
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
CECUT cultural centre and dome cinema
Tijuana's cultural centre, with the Museum of the Californias and a dome-screen cinema. Indoors and seated.
Gentle walking, indoors, about 2 hours
Also fine today: Mercado Hidalgo · Telefónica Gastro Park · Pasaje Rodríguez art alley · Plaza Río mall
2 things to skip today
Valle de Guadalupe wine tour
Why not: About 1.5 hours each way is too long a ride for this stage.
Usually fine from day 7.
Rosarito beach
Why not: It involves swimming or water contact.
Not during the 10 days this guide covers. Ask your surgeon when it is safe.
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