1 year after lower body lift, pulling and inflamed feeling (photo)

Hi, thank you for your question regarding your ongoing discomfort after a lower body lift. I appreciate your history and the picture you provided.

It is difficult, if not impossible, to determine exactly what is causing your symptoms without a physical examination. However, based on your description of inflammation and pulling sensations, two possibilities come to mind.

First, it is possible that retained permanent sutures are causing the discomfort. Some plastic surgeons close the incision from a lower body lift with permanent sutures, which are designed not to dissolve. In some cases, these sutures can create irritation, inflammation, or a pulling sensation over time. If the sutures are causing your symptoms, the solution may involve removing them, which could relieve the discomfort.

Alternatively, your symptoms could be due to excessive scar tissue under the skin. While some scarring is normal after surgery, prolonged pain or pulling sensations are not typical. Excessive scar tissue can sometimes create tension and discomfort in the area, mimicking the symptoms you’ve described.

Treatment options for excessive scar tissue include:

Stretching and exercise: Gentle physical therapy can sometimes help break down scar tissue and improve mobility.
Microneedling or Morpheus8: These treatments can stimulate collagen remodeling and soften scar tissue.
Steroid or 5-FU injections: These can reduce inflammation and help soften localized areas of thick scar tissue.
If these conservative measures fail to alleviate your symptoms, you might consider revision surgery to remove the problematic scar tissue or permanent sutures. However, it is important to note that any revision surgery will also create new scar tissue, which may carry its own risks.

I strongly recommend scheduling a consultation with an experienced, board-certified plastic surgeon who specializes in body lift procedures. They can perform a thorough physical examination to determine the exact cause of your symptoms and recommend an appropriate treatment plan. Be sure to ask to see their portfolio of "before and after" photos to ensure they have extensive experience with body lifts, ideally having performed at least 200 of these surgeries.

Good luck, and I hope this helps guide you toward a solution for your discomfort.

Sincerely,
Dr. Katzen

Thank you for your query. The scar in the picture does not look inflamed or thickened. In my opinion you will need to have a full assessment by a Physiatrist/Pain medicine specialist, in addition to your Plastic surgeon. Please discuss your concerns with your Plastic surgeon and seek referral to an appropriate specialist. All the best!

Dear Reserved529571,

I understand your concern. However, without a proper assessment, it would be difficult to determine what is wrong. It is best that you visit your plastic surgeon for further assessment or ask for a second opinion. Only after a thorough examination, you can get proper recommendations and advice.

Daniel Barrett, MD
Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

Deafr Reserved529571, thanks for your photo and concerns, will be good to see some more pictures in order to evaluate your case. This can be in person or online. Make sure you go on consultation with a board-certified plastic surgeon. Hope this helps and best of lucks. Dr. Luis Mejia.

I'm sorry to hear of the discomfort you've been experiencing. I would begin by visiting with your surgeon. She/He is most familiar with the details of your surgery and how you progressed through recovery. From the provided photo there is nothing obviously inflamed externally. You may be having digestive issues which can cause abdominal swelling. You could have scar tissue issues. Further in person evaluation is needed for recommendations for potential relief.