13 Weeks Post Op, Swelling After Cardio Sessions?

13 weeks ago I had mini tummy tuck with muscle repair and lipo to the flanks. About four weeks ago I started doing an hour of cardio 6 days a week. I look pudgy instead of flat like I did at week six post op. could my workouts be causing me to swell up again? If yes, should I stop working out so often? It's the same workout I did before surgery. Shouldn't most of my swelling be down by this point? I'm starting to lose motivation on achieving my toned midsection.

Tags:

Comment on this

6 Doctor Answers | Asked by mominmi in Holland, MI

Doctor Answers (6)
Community Comments (0)

Swelling after Mini-Tummy Tuck

Don't loose your motivation! It could definitely be swelling... and it's not really a medical problem. It is temporary. The lymphatic channels that normally remove fluid from the tissues are "damaged" during surgery and have to regenerate. This takes time. So although you are healed enough to work out - you still keep that swelling in your tissues longer than you normally would after working out. This will eventually stop and in the meantime you will be on... more

13 Weeks Post Op, Swelling After Cardio Sessions

This could be swelling, but also could be fluid collection (seroma), the latter of which needs some attention. I would suggest a call to your surgeon who can decide over the phone based on some give and take conversation whether you should be seen. I would pass the question on work out to your surgeon--I hate discouraging healthy activities over the internet! Thanks for your question, all the best.

13 Weeks after Minitummy Tuck and Flanks Liposuction

In the absence of fluid collection, this swelling following working out is a normal body response. The reestablishment of lymphovascular equilibrium following major surgery may take 6 months to a year. Kenneth Hughes, MD Los Angeles, CA

Swelling after tummy tuck.

It is certainly possible that you are swelling after your workouts. If the change is truly temporary (flat before, swollen after) then this is likely the case. However, keep an eye on your weight. More than once I've seen a patient gain a few pounds after a tummy tuck (going out to eat more, thinking that weight gain won't happen in the abdomen). If you believe that the cardio workouts are really the issue, try wearing a compression type garment (Spanks) during your workouts. By six months,... more

David Bogue, MD

6 reviews

Boca Raton Plastic Surgeon

www.drbogue.com

Swelling with Workout After Tummy Tuck

Even as late as you are out from the tummy tuck, you can have some intermittent swelling with workouts. As long as the swelling resolves in between workouts, I would not be concerned as this will improve over the next 6 months as your lymphatic system recovers from the surgery. If the swelling does not resolve after a few days, then I would call your surgeon for an examination.

13 weeks after tummy tuck

Please keep exercising... if your pudginess is transient like I suspect it is, it should improve with time. You are out enough away from your surgery that you are not anticipated to have any problems with resuming your activities. And if your pudginess doesn't resolve, you should talk to your surgeon about this.