Muscle Repair Failure or Swelling After Tummy Tuck?

Dear LizCalgary, Your surgeon can readily tell if the rectus muscles are together or not. He/She were there and know where the stitches are. Having an upper abdomen that is a little bumpy in itself is NO reason to worry. If you examined your tummy before surgery, you should be able to examine it now and feel the difference. Lying on your back with a small pillow under the curve of your back, put your dominant hand flat on your tummy with the fingers curled into the flesh along the midline... more

At three months time your surgeon should be able to tell you if you have swelling there still, or is it just fat or failure of the repair. This is pretty much done by physical exam. In very rare occasions, further studies can be done to make sure that there is not a fluid collection, which usually doesnt settle up high. But I would talk to your plastic surgeon and have him or her examine you and state your concern. They should be able to tell you if something has happened with your... more

Your surgeon should be able to tell whether your concern is swelling or fluid collection or muscle repair failure. By far the most likely would be a fluid collection or residual swelling. Muscle repair failure would be very unusual. It is possible that what you are describing could also be residual fat following the procedure. It is not possible or safe to remove as much fat from the tissue left behind during a tummy tuck as it would be with liposuction. I would... more