RE: Drainage and swelling after Smart Lipo and Tummy Tuck

By Sunnysideup on 05 Nov 2008

I had a Tummy Tuck a week ago. The doctor did Smart Lipo and then the Tummy Tuck. I ended up with a huge incision from waist to waist, and I am actually larger in my midsection than I was pre-surgery from all the swelling. I don't see any way for the liquid to come out, I don't have any drainage. My doctor wants me to do 3 sessions of ultrasonic therapy to help my healing and drainage. I am already unhappy with the results. Is this normal? Is this worth the extra pay for the treatments? Please advise.

View 13 doctor answers to Drainage and Swelling After Smart Lipo and Tummy Tuck

Comments (10)

cavanagh 15 Jul 2009

Thx for all this help i am nearly 4 months post op it is going down now but along the scar line there is still a bulge the doctor said it might not go away as that is the skin where it was fatter there and the bottom half of the tummy is thinnner skin so thats why i got the slight buldge is anyone else like that or is it just me !

marymartini52 13 Jul 2009

Your dr should have put in drains! they are a nusinace, but sooo necesary! fluid accumulation can be a breeding ground for infection. otherwise this will all pass and it will go down. you really need 4 -6 months for the full results

cavanagh 5 May 2009

surely you should still have drains in when you left i had mines in for 5 days but i stayed in the hospital till they were removed i ended up with a seroma had it drained but 8 weeks on i am still swollen on one side of my tummy

kittykat69 (unregistered guest) 13 Jul 2009

I had drains in for 9 days. A nusiance, but very necessary! Fluid accumulation can cause a breding grnd for infection. You're surgeon was lax on this. You should have had them!

mazza 4 May 2009

i understand how you feel i just had smart lipo on thursday (now day 4 recovery) i now have lots more movement... but i dont feel anything has happened except my purse is lighter by a few thousand ! im hoping day 4 is still liquid im a bit confused about this drainage? how does it come out, when i came out of the hospital i had leaked all over my coat and compression garment however now nothing.. which i guess is normal but how does the liquid get out?

cavanagh 12 Apr 2009

Thanks for letting me no how you are feeling it doesnt seem so bad when you here that other people are feeling the same way its just that you look at pics on here and ther stomach is so flat and mines isnt maybe i am just trying to rush it to much ...thx once again

BaBegrl 10 Apr 2009

Hi, congrats on your new look. I had a tt on 2/23. Sometimes I also feel as if ps didn't take off enough. So what I do is look at my old pics to see how far I have come. I plan to wait until swelling goes down before seeking a second opionion. I hope this makes you feel better.

cavanagh 6 Apr 2009

how long will it take before i see results as i look fatter now than i did before surgery and in so much pain E HANNAH

BaBegrl 10 Apr 2009

Hi, Sometimes I feel the ps didn't take enough skin/fat off. So what I do is look at my pre-op pictures to remind me of how much I have been improved. I'm going to wait until the swelling goes down to make a final decision. tt-2/23/09 I hope this makes you feel better.

Alex Liu 7 Nov 2008

Being only 1 week out from major surgery is still too early to tell what the final results will be. Especially with a tummy tuck procedure and SmartLipo performed at the same time. Even from a simple skin tag excision a patient can be normally swollen in the area for 1-2 weeks. Drainage to outside of your body typically stops 24-48 hours after a procedure as your body will start to create proteins to halt the drainage. The internal drainage of your body (your body's ability to remove the residual fluid/swelling still within your body) can take weeks to several months. This duration is within normal limits. The likely reason you have a larger measurement 1 week post-op is because of normal swelling. I can understand your concern but what you are experiencing can be quite the norm. Before spending more money, I would discuss with your surgeon what he or she expects for your recovery time as they were the ones who performed the procedure. It is hard to see yourself swollen but 1 week is still very early in the healing process. I hope this helps and good luck!