Painful Lump After Tummy Tuck Doctor Think's It's Fibrous Tissue? What Does This Mean? (photo)

I find this is one of the most unsatisfactory things about having cosmetic surgery abroad.  It is the reassurance that you may need from your surgeon when things like this occur.  I agree with Dr Sexton and it may be a localised haematoma or seroma.  It is common to perform dissection up to the ribcage centrally and there may have been a little bit of bleeding here.  It is also possible that the sutures from the muscle repair (if there was one) may have stretched or given way.

A scan would help delineate the problem, but I find that these problems can usually be dealt with by clinical assessment and appropriate management.  Does the surgeon visit your country at all, because it would be ideal to see the person who did the operation.  Alternatively, you could email your photos to him/her as he will be in the best place to give the most accurate advice.  Good luck.

 You most likely are correct. This mass or hardness probably is a seroma. Consider asking your physician to perform a simple ultrasound. If this turns out to be a seroma the radiologist can aspirate/ drain it. Unfortunately, you may require serial aspirations, placement of a drainage catheter/ tube, etc at this point if this is a seroma. If the mass is not a seroma a simple CT scan or MRI will delineate the etiology for you. Then, address your concerns with your surgeon when they are available. Best,

 

Gary R Culbertson, MD, FACS