Is the fluid in my stomach after tummy tuck normal?

Hello and thank you for your question! What you are describing sounds like there is fluid under the abdominal tissue. This is something that the body produces and sometimes can accumulate in areas where there is a significant amount of empty space. As long as there is no infection present this is not something that is an emergency but it should be drained as soon as possible. If you notice redness, warmth, pain, fever and any other signs of infection, then this is something that should be addressed immediately. A seroma can be a common complication after tummy tuck. If this happens in my practice I usually aspirate the fluid with a needle and then place a compressive dressing so as to apply pressure in the area that I drained. Then I have the patient come back a few times during the week to check if the fluid re-accumulates (which is usually the case) and then I repeat the above steps. The fluid usually decreases in volume with each drainage and eventually stops accumulating. You should definitely be seen by your plastic surgeon as soon as possible. I hope this helps and good luck!Ankur Mehta MD

Hello,You have a seroma, the number one complication after a tummy tuck. It is not dangerous, but you will need to get it drained soon. Continue trying to get an early appointment with your surgeon.Best of luck!

What your describing sounds like a seroma. This is a collection of fluid under the skin. It typically needs to be drained. Hopefully you are now able to get in contact with your surgeon, so that they can see you in person and make definitive recommendations.

Thank you for your question. It sounds as though you have fluid collection which is called Seroma & that need aspirations. Contact your physician to discuss the best next steps as soon as possible. 

Thank you for your question about the appearance
of your abdomen after your tummy tuck.  What you are describing could be
consistent with a seroma, but it is important to see your board-certified
plastic surgeon as soon as possible to determine whether there is a fluid
collection and possibly whether it is needs to be drained.  I hope this is
helpful to you.  Best of luck!

Thank you for your query. I would agree that this appears to be a fluid collection which is not uncommon after a tummy tuck procedure. You are now 3 weeks after the procedure and need a full evaluation. Typically this would involve a full consultation with your plastic surgeon followed by possible ultrasound scan guided removal of fluid.

This will generally resolve but may need further care including appropriate garments, antibiotics, pain killers and close followup.

Sometime the problem will persist and then requires an operative procedure to deal with it comprehensively. 

In the meantime feel free to post any further questions and best of luck for a great result.

Dear Jamie_L,



What you are describing is a seroma under the abdominal flap. This is treated with either intermittent aspirations or placement of a small drain under local anesthesia for continuous drainage. That latter usually resolves the problem more quickly. Keeping your activity level low and wearing a compressive band will also help with that.





I hope this has been helpful.





Robert D. Wilcox, MD

by now and had an aspiration for your seroma.  You can anticipate repeated aspirations until this is resolved.  And if it doesn't resolve, there are procedures that can help with resolution.  Best of luck.

an unusual complication if you had a drain for 4-5 days postop, but not a big problem. It should be drained in. Office, may need to be done several times, and will benefit from a snug garment. This is more common after lipo done with tummy tuck in my practice.

Good question! You have fluid that needs to be drained. Your doctor or nurse should be able to aspirate most of the fluid off of your abdomen. This procedure should not hurt.  You will probably need to be aspirated 2-3 times a week until your fluid stops building up. Keep tight compression on your abdomen at all times to help your skin stick back down to your muscle layers. Keep massaging your incision line daily to help with buildup of scar tissue underneath your incision. Good luck!