Significant Lumpiness 6 Months Post-arm Lipo - Should I Seek a Second Opinion from a Different Plastic Surgeon?

I had upper arm lipo six months ago, and there's still substantial lumpiness and some tender bruised-looking areas. It looks like I have truly nasty cellulite -- can't wear short-sleeved shirts. My well-respected & credentialed plastic surgeon originally said i'd see final results in 3-4 months, but he doesn't seem troubled by my situation --says it's just slowly healing scar tissue and will eventually improve. Should I seek a second opinion from another plastic surgeon, or just wait and hope?

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3 Doctor Answers | Asked by Sarah in Arlington in Alexandria, VA

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What To Do About Bumpiness In Arms After Liposuction

Bumpiness in arms after liposuction is not all that uncommon. The treatment of choice is ultrasound (the kind physical therapists use for sore muscles). This will bring blood supply to the area, dissolve some of the scar tissue that is creating the bumpiness, and smooth out some of the fat that remains. My normal regiment is 2 ultrasounds per week, 7 minutes per arm, for a total of 6 ultrasounds. Since you are already 6 months out, a few more ultrasounds would be... more

Arm irregularities after liposuction

Liposuction of the arms is one of those body areas where the risk of unevenness and irregularities are quite high for some patients. At six months you are getting near the point of seeing permanent results but waiting longer does not hurt. The real question now is what can be done if the most of the result you see now stays. This is where getting multiple inouts can be beneficial for this difficult contour problem.

Not much you can really do but wait

Unfortunately seeking a second opinion is fine but won't generate any specific positive action you can really do other than continuing with massage and time. It is getting to where there will be some permanent issues you will have as it is not likely all of this will resolve. That's the problem with arm liposuction and lipo in other areas like the inner thighs where the thin, less elastic skin sometimes just doesn't do well with the procedure.