Post Lipo Hardness and Stiffness, What Should I Do?

I am 2 weeks post "liposculpture," which was both Vaser and smart lipo. I've developed bands of hard, tight tissue across my abdomen and back, where the procedure was done. They make it hard to stretch. My doctor's office says to stretch and they will go away over time,so I'm not that worried, but my doctor never said anything about them preop. What are they? They have the consistency of a taut seat belt and make it very hard to stretch. Also, I've had bloody "seromas" drained 2x so far.

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6 Doctor Answers | Asked by anon

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Tight Bands Under Skin Post Liposculpture

The tight bands that you are experiencing under your skin after liposculpture is what Dr. Andy Kaczynski of Sacramento, California, refers to as organized swelling. This is not scar tissue and I believe, if treated early, can be gotten rid of 100% of the time. What you need to do is increase the blood supply to these injured areas to allow your body's natural healing processes to work their magic. In my practice, (1) I use DMSO, a liquid which helps open... more

Post Lipo Suggestions for Speedy Recovery

The tight bands are probably localized areas of edema and possibly early internal scarring but should diminish with time. Here are some suggestions besides simple stretching that has been recommended to you: Therapeutic or "lymphatic massage" may be helpful following Liposuction (Smart Lipo, Vaser, Tickle lipo, or conventional lipo) to minimize swelling but not all plastic surgeons recommend it nor is it Mandatory. Make sure your surgeon feels that you have healed... more

Your experience is not that uncommon for that type of liposculpting you had done.

Unfortunately, seromas, scar tissue and hematomas etc... are not that uncommon with the type of procedure you had done since it is more common with laser and ultrasound lipos. Stick with your doc to help you through this rough time. It will get better with time. Most will still turn out just fine. Sincerely, David Hansen,MD

David Hansen, MD

19 reviews

Beverly Hills Dermatologic Surgeon

www.DrDavidHansen.com

Stiff tissues after liposuction

It is not uncommon to have stiffness of the tissues after liposuction as the passing of the cannula into the tissue will cause bruising of the tissues and these tight bands can form. They are essentially scar tissue and with time, massage, stretching and heating pads, they get better. Not all patients get them, but the larger the amount of fat removed and the larger the amount of post op fluid collection there is, the higher the chance of it occurring.

Tissue fibrosis is common after liposculpture.

Tissue fibrosis is common after liposculpture. I inform all of my patients before surgery that they will have some amount of fibrosis (excess scarring beneath the skin) and will need to have seromas drained even though I leave drains in place to help minimize them. Continue following your doctor's advice and instructions and things should resolve in time.

If you have questions after liposculture/liposuction, check back with your doctor.

It is best to check back with the doctor who did your procedure if you have questions post liposuction. If you are still unsatisfied or concerned, get a second opinion from a well respected liposuction surgeon in your area.