Should I plan for an extended period off from work for a tummy tuck?

[honeybear0023]

I am hoping someone here has had one done. I am not sure how long I should take off from work in total.

I have a general idea of how long I will need to be in Korea but in terms of healing and recovery, I don't know how long I should avoid working. My job does have some labor aspects to it which is concerning me. I could do some work from home but I want to make sure I can get enough time to recover before working again to risk injury or messing up my surgery. 

[MooMooShia13]

I remember reading it is recommended to take 6 weeks off work if your job requires labor. So depending on how long you are in Korea, you should probably plan for an extra week or two once back home to rest

[quietpanda]

19 hours ago, honeybear0023 said:

I am hoping someone here has had one done.

I had work on my belly after my second child was born. I had gained a lot of weight with her and had loose skin. I don't think it was called a tummy tuck but I essentially had one. My recovery took about 5 weeks in total but I didn't feel "good" until maybe week 8 which my doctor said was normal. 

[berrygirl21]

Every one is a bit different but most people return to working no issue by 6 weeks and I would say even still, only a small percentage need a full 6 weeks. 

If you can get extra time off work, you may as well though even if you don't need it. I know I would 

[kpopkelly]

Just give yourself the standard recommended time off. From what I have read, that is 4 to 6 weeks. So start counting at your post-op exam before you leave Korea. 

[InstaQu33n]

On 5/12/2026 at 9:13 AM, kpopkelly said:

Just give yourself the standard recommended time off. From what I have read, that is 4 to 6 weeks. So start counting at your post-op exam before you leave Korea. 

Someone I know did this and had no issues. She went over there for a tummy tuck a few years ago and was in Korea for 22 days so just over three weeks. She then had an additional 3 weeks off from work when she got home.