How to Prevent Pneumonia After a Tummy Tuck: Why I Give Every Patient an Incentive Spirometer
When most people think about recovery after a tummy tuck, they focus on things like swelling, compression garments, and getting back to their usual routine. But there’s one important complication that’s easy to overlook—and that’s pneumonia.
Yes, pneumonia can happen after an abdominoplasty. And that’s why I give every single tummy tuck patient an incentive spirometer (IS) before they even leave the recovery room.
Why Pneumonia Happens After a Tummy Tuck
When you have a tummy tuck, your abdominal muscles are typically tightened as part of the procedure. This internal corset can make it harder to take deep breaths—especially in the first few days after surgery when you’re sore, stiff, or hunched over slightly for comfort.
But just like balloons, your lungs need to stay expanded. If you’re taking shallow breaths, the bases of your lungs can collapse slightly. That’s when fluid and bacteria can settle in, putting you at risk for postoperative pneumonia.
What Is an Incentive Spirometer?
An incentive spirometer (IS) is a simple breathing device designed to help you take slow, deep breaths. It encourages you to expand your lungs fully, which improves oxygenation and keeps those lower airways open and healthy during the healing period.
Despite what people think, you don’t blow into it—you inhale. Think of it as reverse blowing into a balloon. You want to pull in air slowly and deeply to make the little piston inside rise.
How I Ask Patients to Use It
Here’s what I tell my tummy tuck patients:
- Use your IS device 10 times per hour while awake for the first few weeks after surgery
- When you inhale through the device, aim to get the piston to at least half of your normal maximum capacity
- Most healthy patients can reach about 2000 mL on the device pre-surgery, so I ask them to target around 1000 mL minimum post-op and gradually work their way back up
- Think of it like physical therapy—but for your lungs
This small effort can make a big difference. It helps prevent lung collapse (atelectasis), clears out secretions, and keeps your breathing strong—reducing the risk of infection.
The Bottom Line
Preventing pneumonia after a tummy tuck isn’t complicated—but it does take intentional effort. Using an incentive spirometer regularly, even when you don’t feel like it, helps keep your lungs fully inflated and healthy while your body recovers.
It’s a small, simple tool—but it’s a powerful one. And it’s one of the best ways to protect yourself from a preventable complication during recovery.
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