Is Hard Swelling/bruising Normal After Liposuction? (photo)

Your
pictures indicate that you have significant bruising and swelling following
your liposuction procedure.This is a
normal finding in someone who is one week post-op.Patients undergoing liposuction often develop
swelling and bruising following this procedure.During the procedure, the liposuction cannula is passed through the
subcutaneous tissue.This causes
disruption of blood vessels and lymphatic channels and cellular injury, which
results in bleeding, bruising and swelling.Significant
improvement in swelling and bruising can be seen in the first three weeks
following surgery, with the majority gone in about three months.Small amounts of swelling may persist up to a
year following surgery. Both
swelling and bruising can be minimized by using tumescent technique and small
liposuction cannulas.In the
post-operative period, we generally recommend the use of compression support
garments for about three weeks following surgery.We also recommend a low-salt diet before and
after liposuction.Exercise is usually
started early in the post-operative period, and we want patients to ambulate as
soon as possible following surgery.Massage is also helpful.It
decreases swelling by mobilizing retained fluid following the procedure.All
of these steps help to minimize the duration of swelling and bruising following
surgery.It’s important to realize that
swelling and bruising usually resolve with time regardless of the
post-operative management.

This is difficult to tell if this is normal or a small hematoma from your photos. In general bruising and swelling are normal for the first week in the suctioned areas and usually increase slightly after the removal of any tape or foam. The bruising will decrease over 3-4 weeks, but may last as long as 6 weeks. The majority of the swelling will be gone within the first 3-4 weeks. However it may take much longer to disappear completely. The compression garment helps reduce the swelling, and the longer it is worn, the more quickly the process will proceed. If you are concerned or the problem gets significantly worse, immediately visit your plastic surgeon to get it examined.

While swelling and bruising are very common after liposuction, if it is sore to the touch and it is significantly swollen, it's best to see your  surgeon just incase it's not a hematoma or seroma.