Abdominal Lipo Waviness and Swelling Post-op 8 Weeks

Hello, I am post 8 weeks surgery. I am 5'2" and 124lbs . I always had a belly as someone who is physically fit I was unable to have a flat belly. The Dr said I should have my flanks done also (though I didn't ask for that). After my surgery I was wrapped across my belly & ever since my profile is terrible & shows waviness. Have tried Vodder massage and it's not helping. The Dr saw me last week and tells me to it's edema in the tissue to wear a CG it will go over time. Is this how I will stay?

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10 Doctor Answers | Asked by liposad in San Francisco

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Irregular results 8 weeks after liposuction

It is difficult to fully assess the results by photos and without an examination. Furthermore, at 8 weeks, you are still fairly early in the healing process which can take up to a year for the inflammation and swelling to maximally subside. I will usually have my patients massage the suctioned areas several times a day to help decrease the swelling and allow for more even result. Of course, if the liposuction was inadequate, this will not correct it. You also want to make sure that any... more

Liposuction takes three to six months to improve

You may need a reevaluation after three to six months to evaluate if more treatment is needed but until then it is not fair to evaluate and your surgeon will need to examine you to determine if more surgery should be done.

Waviness and swelling 8 weeks after abdominal liposuction

You are still relatively early on in your recovery from liposuction of your abdomen. Don't forget that the empty spaces where the fat used to be quickly fill up with fluid; this fluid is replaced with scar tissue. Scar tissue is typically at its lumpiest several months after surgery, and will shrink and soften over at least 6 months. Try to resume all your normal activities. Make sure you keep in touch with your plastic surgeon and have him or her check on your... more

Liposuction - Waviness, Irregularities and the Final Result

Dear liposad, It does, in fact, take a long time to see the final results from a liposuction. In my experience, it's about 4-6 weeks for 80% of the result, 3 months for 95% and 6 months for all of it. Those are guidelines, some people see results sooner, some longer. That addresses the edema and how long it takes your body to show the final result. The actual final result, though, is dependent on what you look like before, the surgery that is done, and the way... more

Waviness after lipo

Thanks for posting great pics. Yes you do have some residual waviness to your abdomen after lipo. While it is still somewhat early I would expect that these should be resolving by now. All all of the bruising and swelling to resolve and continue to message any "lumpy" areas for a least another month. If you are still unhappy and have residual contour irregularities then you should talk to your PS about a revision.

Recovery from Liposuction

Without of pre-op photos to compare, it is impossible to comment on your results. Also, 8 weeks post surgery is early to start getting worried about results. There will still be swelling that needs to resolve. The best advice at this point is to wear a compressive garment that provides a nice event compression to the skin. Also, if you sit all day for your job, you will get temporary grooves where your skin folds when you bend. This will eventually resolve as... more

8 weeks post-liposuction

At eight weeks post liposuction you are still swollen. You really have to give yourself some time to heal and for the swelling to come down before worrying about some irregularities. This may take 4-6 months minimum.

Steven Wallach, MD

12 reviews

Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Abdominal Lipo Waviness and Swelling Post-op 8 Weeks

Thanks for posting a series of photos. I do agree you have residual waviness. It might improve over the next month but a minor revision with Smart Lipo + lipo would be my personal recommendation. Regards from MIAMI Dr. B

Waves after abdominal liposuction

The waves are apparent in the photo with the taping over your abdomen, and over the progression as we see the bruise improve the waves are better as well. We cannot know how the liposuction was done or how your final result will be, however you should continue to see improvements for several months yet to come. Massage can help if the tummy is not tender. A Spanx, the higher power, may provide some support and compression as things settle out. Best of luck, peterejohnsonmd more

Liposuction Results Take Time

For anyone undergoing liposuction, it generally takes at least three months for all of the edema to settle down and the skin to retract. There is so much trauma to the tissues with the entire process - infusing fluid into the tissues, removing the fat, and all, the postoperative swelling and fluid shifts. This is why it is important to wear a compression garment for at least 3 months. At that point, most of the changes should have occurred and you will have a better idea of... more