Is Abdominal Swelling Normal After CoolSculpting?

Yes, swelling after coolsculpting is very normal.  The fat that has been frozen is starting it's death cycle.  Your body sends extra cells to the inflammed area to begin the 'cleanup' phase and help resorb the fat.  As a result, your treated area will appear swollen.  Because your body needs the extra fluid to heal, it will also retain fluid mildly and then dispense it once the area has healed. 

Yes, this is a very common side effect following treatment to the abdominal area especially using the larger applicator.  You may also feel numbness, minor bruising, and possible itchiness to the area as well.  Rest assure, this should subside within a 2 week period following treatment.  Hope this helps!

Thank you for your question. Though every patient has their own individual responses to post treatment you may find it comforting to know that, yes, abdominal swelling is considered to be a normal side effect, though not everyone experiences it. Sometimes patience have a bit of water retention as well as swelling that gives them the 'bloated' feeling/look. The good news is that this is a natural response and the symptoms will typically go away usually around two to four weeks. In the meantime, you may find it helpful to use a compress for three to five days to help reduce swelling. Without seeing you in person, I would recommend checking in with your original treatment provider to answer this question directly and give you helpful recommendations as to whether a temporary anti-inflammatory (NSAID) or compress would be most helpful in your recovery. I hope this answer was helpful. Best of luck to you!

Thanks for the question.  Yes some swelling is to be expected after the Coolsculpting procedure as the process known as cryolipolysis causes fat cells to die and in that process the body has a mild inflammatory reaction which causes mild swelling.  Then as the body heals, it eliminates the dead fat cells.  The swelling is usually mild and only lasts a couple days typically, although in some cases it can last up to a week.  
All the best,
Dr. Flashner

Coolsculpting has improved quite a bit since you have had the procedure done several years ago for readers who are looking at this question. The applicators are much more efficient and the procedure does not take as long as it did originally. Many patients experienced severe latent pain as well. The most common area for swelling and discomfort is in the abdominal area since the larger applicators are used to freeze the fat, and there is typically much more fat to get rid of in the belly. However, most patients do not feel that it is unbearable. We advise our patients to wear a form fitting camisole or for men, a fitted undershirt to minimize the swelling; this also helps reduce the sensitivity of the skin that some patients report particularly in the abdomen. These side effects subside after about a week, and the swelling is noticeably better as well. I hope that this will help patients be prepared that are thinking about Coolsculpting as a non-surgical option to liposuction.