What Can You Do to Relieve Tummy Tuck Swelling?

I'm 1 week post op and I'm starting to swell. I knew it would happen and I know it will go away, but damn it's uncomfortable. Anything you can take? Anything you can eat that helps? A wizard I can contact?

Tags:

Comment on this

7 Doctor Answers | Asked by Meliora in Pittsburgh, PA

Doctor Answers (7)
Community Comments (0)

Swelling has a mind of it's own!

One of the major side affects of the tummy tuck is swelling. I tell my patients to expect this. It's a nuisance, but it's predictable and normal. Usually you will not be able to wear the pants or jeans that you can pre-operatively until about a month after surgery. Another month later they will start to get loose. Starting around two to three months, you will find that you stomach looks great first thing in the morning, but by the end of the day the... more

Swelling after tummy tuck

Try the following to reduce swelling after your tummy tuck: 1. Avoid salt 2. Wear your girdle regularly 24/7 3. Avoid clothing that pinches or leaves a mark above the swelling 4. Avoid sitting for long periods of time. Take frequent walking breaks at work. 5. Avoid fatty or gassy foods. Use mild stool softener 6. Massage when you get the go ahead from your doc 7. Try arnica - a lot of people swear by it

Swelling after tummy tuck

This is perfectly normal at this stage. Make sure you wear your compression garment and keep your bowels moving because pain meds can lead to constipation. I find it also helps if you maintain a low salt diet and drink a lot of water. Your surgeon can rule out anything abnormal such as a fluid collection or bleeding. It does get better!

Swelling after Tummy tuck Surgery

Sorry, no wizard here. Some surgeons use Arnica to decrease swelling / bruising - I am not aware of any good science that it makes things significantly better. Make sure the "uncomfortable" nature of your situation is not related to constipation (use high fiber foods, fluids, prune juice, etc). Also make sure that you don't have a fluid collection below the skin flaps (seroma). This may present as a fluid wave sensation. Keep close follow up with your surgeon... more

Post-op swelling

Some swelling is normal, but make sure you are seeing your surgeon every couple of days. It is possible that your drains are not working, and if you had no drains placed like some surgeons do, you may have a seroma, a fluid collection or a hematoma, a blood collection. Finally, have you had a proper bowel movement? Patients do often get constipated after surgery and this can lead to dramatic bloating.

1 week post op swelling after tummy tuck

It is normal to have swelling at this time. make sure your surgeon checks you however, as sometimes fluid builds up after the drains are removed, and needs to be drained. Usually it is just swelling in the tissues which will go down. keep a compression garment on if your surgeon approves it. sometimes it also can be bloating secondary to the pain medicine which makes the intestines not work correctly. do not do too much activity as that can also lead to fluid buildup. hang in there. more