What Can I Do to Get Rid of Swelling After Tummy Tuck Surgery?

I had a tummy tuck combined with liposuction 30 days ago. I wear a compression garment around the clock. Is there something I can do to help the swelling go down, and to help the numbing/healing process? Such as massage therapy?

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9 Doctor Answers | Asked by Cbunny33 in Chalmette, LA

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As long as your surgeon has determined that you do not...

As long as your surgeon has determined that you do not have a seroma (a collection of fluid between the skin and the muscles), you are doing all you can to lessen the swelling. The performance of a tummy tuck requires dividing many of the lymph channels on the abdominal wall and these help resolve swelling. It takes a few months for them to re-establish themselves so you won't get to your final healed result until they do. Massage can be useful, avoiding high salt foods can also help,... more

Endermologie Can Help Reduce Swelling After Tummy Tuck

A standard tummy tuck lifts the skin and fatty tissue off the underlying abdominal muscle from the top of the pubic bone up to the bottom of the breast bone, almost like lifting up an apron. As a result, all of the lymphatic channels are damaged and so swelling is a given. It's just a matter of how long it will last, sometimes as long as 3 to 6 months. There are certain things we do intra-operatively to minimize lymphatic disruption, and there are... more

Post-Tummy Tuck Swelling

Swelling after tummy Tuck is inevitable and takes its time to fully resolve. There is not much you can do to hasten the recovery process. Although a lot of treatments have been proposed, the scientific backing that PROVES they effectively reduce post operative swelling is rather flimsy at best. I would classify most of such treatments in the "Chicken soup" category of medical treatments (As aunt Ida would say:..."it can't hurt..."). Lymphatic massages, high protein diets, we more

Managing swelling after a tummy tuck

It is normal to expect and see swelling after a tummy tuck surgery. In my practice I include liposuction with all tummy tuck surgeries. For this reason, patients can see swelling from both the tummy tuck portion and the liposuction portion of their surgeries. Patients are given two garments after surgery. They are instructed to wear the second garment for at least three months to help with the resolution of swelling. My patients have told me that it is particularly helpful to wear the... more

Tummy tuck Swelling?

Thank you for the question. As always, it is best to be seen in person ( by your plastic surgeon) for precise diagnosis and treatment. Abdominal wall "swelling" after tummy tuck may be related to: 1. Swelling in the soft tissues. This may take several months to resolve and may worsen with increased activity or at the end of the day. Patience is required to allow for resolution of the swelling. The swelling occurs because of the interruption of... more

How to reduce swelling after abdominoplasty

In addition to what Dr. Rand already described, which I agree with, some of my patients have had success in reducing the swelling by having lymphatic drainage massage treatments. Contact your local spas and massage therapists to see if they offer it. It is very gentle, not really "massage" and can help reduce swelling. Be patient-it takes a good 3 months for swelling to go down. Good luck.

Tummy tuck swelling

4 weeks after surgery you will have swelling and numbness. The numbness usually gets better. As for the swelling, I would continue the garment and consider lymphatic massage.

Steven Wallach, MD

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Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Massage helpful to some following Tummy Tuck

Therapeutic or "lymphatic massage" may be helpful following a Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty) and Liposuction to minimize swelling. Make sure your surgeon feels that you have healed sufficiently and it is safe before doing this. Endermologie is also very helpful after liposculpture/liposuction but again, not critical. Although deep tissue massage following liposuction can aid in smoothing out contour irregularities that invariably accompany... more

Swelling after tummy tuck

Manual lymphatic drainage is and addition al way to help resolve the swelling and edema. However, time is probably the best solution to allow time for restoration of the circulation. see video