Swelling After Tumescent Liposuction?

asked 3 years ago by anewme in ny
Latest answer by Tom J. Pousti, MD
Question viewed 3,265 times
Tags: swelling

I had Tumescent Liposuction on my upper and lower abdomen 5 days ago, is the pulling pain in my lower ab normal when i stand the first few minutes?

I also feel that my lower belly still looks the same. My upper abs look way flatter, could it be swelling? It looked perfect immediately after the procedure and it swelled for 2 days and on day 3 it looked flat, but now I am concern because it is poofy and jiggly.

Read my review "My Lower Belly Still Looks the Same 5 Days After Lipo."

10 answers to Swelling After Tumescent Liposuction?

Swelling after Liposuction?

Thank you for your question. At 5 days post op It is much too early to evaluate the results of your surgery. Swelling is part of the healing process. I ask my liposuction patients to wear a compression garment for 4 weeks post op surgery to help with the swelling. The swelling can take months to subside and even longer for skin to “redrape". At that point you will see the final results. Best Wishes.

Tom J. Pousti, MD
San Diego Plastic Surgeon

Tumescent Lipo

Swelling goes to the direction of gravity and swelling goes from north to south and the swelling will be in the low abdomen last. This will resolve, but avoid sitting too much and causing a crease there. Standing and a good compression garment is good as well.

Vivek Bansal, MD
Danville Plastic Surgeon

Swelling after abdominal liposuction

What you are describing sounds normal. The swelling and retained fluid tend to follow gravity and make your lower abdomen seem fuller. If you looked good at the time of surgery, you will most likely get that result within 2 to 3 months.

Karol A. Gutowski, MD
Chicago Plastic Surgeon

Tumescent Liposuction Results - When is the Swelling Gone?

There are two reasons for swelling after tumescent liposcution. First, in the operating room fluid is injected into the fat to help with the fat removal and speed your recovery. Second, any surgery is a form of injury, and injury leads to swelling as part of the healing process. The tumescent fluid goes away in about a day, and the swelling from the injury of surgery peaks at two to three days. After a few days the swelling will begin to subside. In most areas it goes away from the... more

Joseph Mele, MD
Walnut Creek Plastic Surgeon

Gravity helping you heal

Most likely your upper tummy is flat and your lower is still puffy due to gravity pulling the remaining tumescent fluid down. We often place an extra tiny opening or two at the lower tummy specifically to allow this water to clear itself more quickly. The openings typically close in a couple of days, and what is left of the fluid will be absorbed over time. That is why it is helpful to wear your compression garment and help keep the water from accumulating in one area. Dont... more

Christopher J. Peers, MD
South Bend Facial Plastic Surgeon

Swelling after liposuction is normal

Swelling after liposuction of any type is a normal process. The tumescent technique for liposuction uses injection of large volumes of fluid containing local anesthetic and epinephrine to constrict the blood vessels and reduce bleeding. Much of the tumescent fluid is removed during the procedure, however, many times there is additional fluid that is left behind that can cause swelling in adjacent areas for several days. Typically, surgical swelling reaches it peak at three... more

Steven L. Ringler, MD
Grand Rapids Plastic Surgeon

Swelling after liposuction

Liposuction is extremely effective and popular procedure. This is because it is able to effectively recontour the body through very small incisions and with minimal downtime. When we perform this procedure, we first add water to the area that we are going to treat. This fluid allows us to remove the fat effectively and safely. After the surgery, you can expect for some of this fluid to leak through the incisions of the liposuction for the first few days. In our practice we also tell... more

B. Pat Pazmino, MD
Miami Plastic Surgeon

Swelling after Tumescent Lipo

Don’t worry, it’s completely normal. After tumescent liposuction, we always want our patients to remember what they look like the day or two after the procedure because that it what you are going to look like and probably even better. The few days after surgery you will start going thru the swelling process. You are definitely smaller then before lipo but it is not your end result. Hang in there!

Bruce Katz, MD
New York Dermatologic Surgeon

No need for alarm, this is probably normal after Lipo

Almost all liposuction is "tumescent" which means that close to a similar volume of saline (salt water solution with some adrenaline and xylocaine) is pumped into the tissues or areas to be liposuctioned as are removed, which in the abdomen can be several liters of fluid. This is done mostly for safety reasons in order to minimize blood loss and improve the purity of the fat removed. There are a lot of fluid shifts in the body in the first several days in the body after... more

James F. Boynton, MD
Houston Plastic Surgeon

This may be normal

Liposuction is actually very traumatic, even though the incisions on the skin are small. You should expect a lot of swelling and bruising, even with tumescent technique. The jiggly stuff may indicate a fluid collection beneath the skin. You should have compression garments to help with this. A visit to the doctor will go far to reassure you. sek