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Above Tummy Tuck Incision Line. Swelling? Fluid? Sponge Like Fluid? I'm Confused.

asked 11 months ago by callmesue73 in Arlington, VA
Latest answer by Tom J. Pousti, MD
Question viewed 415 times
Tags: 2 weeks post-op, fluid, incision, swelling

@ 2wks removed drain tube(1 tube was placed on the side). There are swelling above incision line on both side. PS swears there are some fluid. Each f/u (3times)PS stuck a needle to drain fluid but nothing came out on either side. Last f/u (4wks p/o) PS tried again and nothing. PS tells me the fluid sometime can be like sponge? I don't quite understand. Will my body absorb on it's own? Just swelling? Permanent? I will call PS to have btr understanding. Meantime, I would like some advices. TY

8 answers to Above Tummy Tuck Incision Line. Swelling? Fluid? Sponge Like Fluid? I'm Confused.

+1

Swelling After Tummy Tuck?

Thank you for the question. Some swelling after tummy tuck surgery is to be expected and may continue for several months after surgery. It may take up to a year to see the final results of surgery. Localized swelling (for example the “bulge” above the belly button) may be a seroma or hematoma. Since your surgeon has tried to aspirate the area several times it is likely that the swelling is in the soft tissues as opposed to the space between the tissues and... more
Tom J. Pousti, MD

San Diego Plastic Surgeon

www.poustiplasticsurgery.com

+1

Above Tummy Tuck Incision Line. Swelling? Fluid? Sponge Like Fluid? I'm Confused.

When I see this in my patients I refer them to the Interventional Radiologists at my main hospital (Baptist of Miami). They preform a scan with radiographic guidance needle aspiration and possible insertion of a drain.
Darryl J. Blinski, MD

Miami Plastic Surgeon
+1

Seroma vs Swelling after TT

While you are standing tap lightly on one side of your lower abdomen. Seroma: Fluid collection on the space between the tissue that was elevated during surgery and the muscle wall. If you see a wave like a water bed (not a jiggle) that goes across your abdomen, you have a seroma. They can get tricky to aspirate, but if they aren't you can develop something called a bursa which is a layer of scar tissue around the fluid that will prevent the tissue from... more
Lori H. Saltz, MD

San Diego Plastic Surgeon

www.ljcsc.com

+1

Swelling or Seroma After a Tummy Tuck?

The difference between swelling and a seroma after a tummy tuck is that a seroma is a free fluid collection between the fat and muscle layers. Large serumas are fairly easy to drain with a needle and syringe so you likely either have a small seroma or normal post-operative swelling. Either way it should resolve on its' own but even swelling can take several months to settle down. Like many things after plastic surgery the answer is time and patience.
Joseph Fata, M.D.

Indianapolis Plastic Surgeon
+1

Tummy Tuck swelling

At only two weeks post op the most likely cause of fullness in the area you describe after tummy tuck is fluid. The other potential cause is fat. Fluid can be pooled in the space between the muscle layer and the skin and fat layer, or it can also be present within the tissues. I think this is what your surgeon refers to as a sponge effect. Swelling is simply that: fluid distributed within the tissues. It may take several months for swelling to completely resolve, so you and... more
Hugh McLean, MD

Mississauga Plastic Surgeon
+1

Seroma after a tummy tuck

It is possible that the fluid collection (seroma) is there even if it is difficult to aspirate with a needle. Although it can take some time, your body will absorb this fluid and the swelling should resolve. Sincerely, Martin Jugenburg, MD
Martin Jugenburg, MD

Toronto Plastic Surgeon

www.torontosurgery.ca

+1

Swelling above incision line

There are different reasons why someone may have swelling above the incision line early after a tummy tuck, one of which is fluid beneath the flap which is called a seroma. Other reasons are normal postoperative swelling, thickening beneath the incision line from the layered closure of dissolvable sutures and the healing scar tissue, lymphatic drainage that does not yet drain across the incision (less swelling in the morning after sleeping flat, more swelling during the day as you are up..... more
Robert M. Grenley, MD

Seattle Plastic Surgeon
+1

Swelling above incision line

Hello, Thank you for your question. It sounds like you have accumulated a seroma (collection of helaing fluid) just above the incision line which is the most common place for it. If the amount of fluid is dispersed over a larger area it can be a fairly thin layer of fluid and therefore can be difficult to successfully drain the fluid with a needle since the needle must be directly into the thin layer of accumulated fluid. Sometimes leaning forward a bit a pressing on... more
Remus Repta, MD

Phoenix Plastic Surgeon

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