Swelling Flanks After Tummy Tuck and Liposuction

I had full Tummy Tuck with Muscle Repair and Liposuction 9 days ago. I still have my drains, and a lot of swelling in the flank area. Is this normal? Is there something that I can do for the swelling? It does go away, right?

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abdomen flanks swelling

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8 Doctor Answers | Asked by flatlook in chicago, IL.

Doctor Answers (8)
Community Comments (2)

Swelling after tummy Tuck

Thanks for your question - It is common to have abdominal swelling after abdominoplasty. When thinking about abdominal contour here are things to consider: Skin envelope Abdominal fat (subcutaneous and intrabdominal) Muscles tightness Intrinsic Swelling Fluid collections Skin Envelope - People complaining of "abdominal bulge" after tummy tuck typically do not have issues with too much skin - that points to issues underneath the skin. Abdominal fat - This can be an issue in people... more

Normal

Swelling is expected. By a month, most of the swelling will be gone, but a signigicant amount remains. It may take a year or more for it to totall go away. Follow your doctors instructions regarding binders, etc. sek

Treatment of tummy tuck swelling in the Bronx

You're still in the very early phase of post operative healing . Be patient and you will start to see results. It has always been my practice to use compression garments and binders immediatly post op.BUT every surgeon has their own regimin to obtain results.

Much too early to tell...

Hi there- It is very difficult to say, without an examination, whether the amount of swelling you are experiencing is the anticipated amount, or whether there is additional swelling, indicating a problem... If you are concerned that you are swelling more than you expected, I would pay a visit to your surgeon, who is the only person with enough knowledge of your procedure to be able to give you an accurate answer. Generally speaking, with the procedure you had performed, swelling at 9 days should more

Nine days is too early to worry about the flanks

Hello If you are nine days after surgery, with drains in place, you are too early in the process to worry. In general, our Santa Rosa tummy tuck patients wear a light compression garment for 6 weeks after a combined tummy tuck/liposuction procedure. The final shape and results should be visible around 2 months after surgery. Check with your doctor frequently and keep your activity level to what your doctor has recommended. More activity means more swelling. Best of luck....

Swelling will improve with time

Nine days following a tummy tuck with liposuction is still considered very early in the postoperative period. Swelling is a normal consequence of these procedures and will take several months to completely resolve. I have my patients wear an abdominal binder for several weeks following surgery to help with support and compression of the abdomen and flanks. Once your drains are removed, you should start feeling better and will notice a significant improvement in your swelling by 6-8 weeks... more

Swelling will persist for a long time.

This is absolutely normal. 9 days is VERY EARLY. Swelling may easily last for 2 months before you notice any significant change. Discuss your concerns with your surgeon. It is early in the post operative period and I am sure you will be in for multiple visits.

Otto Joseph Placik, MD

32 reviews

Chicago Plastic Surgeon

Very normal

Hi, It's very normal to have swelling this soon after surgery. How soon your swelling will go down is variable from patient to patient. This depends upon your skin quality, your age, and the amount of liposuction you had performed on your flanks. Although every surgeon has his or her own preferred regimen for postoperative care, I personally like to place my patients into a compressive garment after the drains come out, as it fell that it helps speed the resolution of swelling. Your... more

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Comments (2)

sicilianprincess 30 Aug 2012

I will be two weeks post op tomorrow. I had my second post op today and spoke to my doctor about the swelling. He said later on we can do surgery of my flanks. I was so discouraged. My pre op pants do not fit! They look better on as my tummy is flat, but are very tight around my waist. I KNOW they were not that tight BEFORE surgery! What gives? I do not want to even think about more surgery right now. I do not know if I have gained weight or if this is swelling. I am inclined to think swelling, but am unsure what to think! Help!

Ladymamalade 4 Oct 2012

I am also 9 days post op and have a lot of swelling of my hips. My tummy is soooo much better than before and I can see the contour of my waistline. However, just below the abdominal binder my hips shoot out so far i look like I had upper but implants. I'm pretty sure that it is all due to swelling because my PS did lipo there and the area is very hard. I guess my binder is too tight for the swelling to exist under it so there is extra accumulation just below it. I also still have my drains in.

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