How Can I Help my Swelling Go Down After Tummy Tuck??

Question

I had a tummy tuck 1 week ago. I have swelling mainly on my sides and above the scar line. How can I assist the swelling to go down? Is rest the answer? or should I be taking light walks? Can any foods help? (At the moment I keep thinking of how good it looked post op before the swelling!) Thanks very much

John J. Corey, MD · Answer

There isn&rsquo;t much you can do to speed along swelling but you can make it last longer!!! Avoid any bouncing or twisting for several weeks&hellip;Don&rsquo;t try and exercise too soon&hellip;It will make you swell more. Just do gentle things, no cleaning out the garage!!! Swelling takes about 4-6 weeks and shaping takes about 6 months..But even at 3 months you may still see some swelling or indentation from a belt&hellip;Very common&hellip;

Miguel Delgado, MD · Answer

Swelling is a natural part of the healing process and there isn't much you can do but wait. Be careful  not to overdo it and do not exercise for the first 6 weeks and then start slowly. Avoid salt, get plenty of rest. Good luck.

Sophie Ricketts, MBBS (Hons), FRACS (Plast) · Answer

This is completely normal at your stage after a tummy tuck. Super flat straight after surgery and then swollen for a variable period after. Wearing your compression garment will certainly help with this. The real answer is just time. Minimise vigorous exercise for the first 3-4 weeks to allow the skin to stick back down onto the tummy muscles. Most of this swelling will go away by 3 months after surgery but your final result won't be until about a year. Be patient, you will get there!

Richard J. Bruneteau, MD · Answer

The wound healing process following abdominoplasty lasts for
over a year.Most of the swelling
resolves in six to eight weeks, but small amounts of swelling may persist for
up to a year.The procedure inevitably
interrupts the abdominal lymphatic drainage and this time to re-establish
itself.Patients
can minimize swelling with compression garments, massage and limitations on
activity levels.It’s important to
remember that swelling is a normal part of wound healing and should resolve
with time.

Elizabeth Slass Lee, MD · Answer

Swelling after tummy tuck is normal, varies from patient to patient and may take months to fully resolve. In my practice, I encourage patients to move around gently in the first two weeks and to expect that swelling will be worse in the lower abdomen than the upper and worse at night after being upright all day than first thing in the morning. Gentle walks are good if you are comfortable. I will have patients with moderate swelling start wearing a high waisted compression panty at about 2 weeks. But mostly, swelling just takes time. If you have redness and increased pain, call your doctor. Swelling associated with these symptoms may signal infection. You should ask your surgeon what he or she recommends, but at one week, swelling is normal

How Can I Help my Swelling Go Down After Tummy Tuck??

Answers (10)