But there are still fat cells present, so some gain in that area is to be expected with weight gain. Skin stretches with the passage of time, and so as the years go by there will be more skin, and for the same reason the muscles will gradually stretch out again. Nevertheless, a better contour after surgery is in a sense permanent, in that no matter what the person's age, the benefits remain. Yes, moderately so, because of the tightening of the muscles that is almost always included. All the patients are given strong narcotic pills to take at home, and limit their activities accordingly.
Recovery time depends on the individual, but usually follows a general pattern.
For the first five to seven days, the patients take fairly strong pain medicine, usually a mild narcotic. During this time they generally stay at home, and they cannot drive a car or operate machinery. Near the one-week mark, when they are on milder medicine, they can start light exercise, such as walking, treadmill, stationary bike, but not impact exercises like running or aerobics. The second week, weights or exercise machines can be added, and then after three weeks, running and aerobics can be done. The point at which work can be resumed depends upon how the work activities fit into the progression described above, and this is individualized.