How Long for Swelling to Go Down After Mini Abdominoplasty?

Thank you for your question. Swelling after a tummy tuck procedure
typically decreases with every week that passes, with the majority of
the swelling gone by six weeks. Lymphatic massage during the first
couple weeks can help tremendously to accelerate the swelling reduction
process. From that point, I often tell patients
that they can go about freely to exercise or engage in strenuous
activity and lifting. Increased activity, however, may prolong how long
the small remaining swelling takes to subside. The swelling may also
be more intermittent at this stage and related to the degree of activity
in any given day. This may last between the three - six month mark. The hardness that you feel in the tummy may be the scar tissue that
formed around the seroma.  This should also soften over the next few
months.  I
would visit with your plastic surgeon regularly so they can help monitor your progress.

Thank you for your post. Seromas can be painful and cause a cosmetic deformity, as well as sometimes leak. The whole point of drains is to keep a seroma from happening in the first place. If a drainless procedure was performed, and you had a seroma, or you had drains that were pulled and you subsequently had a seroma, then you should be drained, otherwise a capsule builds around the fluid making it permanent. If a capsule builds around the seroma (pseudo bursa or encapsulated seroma) then the only way to remove the seroma is to surgically open the areas and excise the capsule, and close over drains to prevent another seroma from happening. If the seroma is encapsulated and is tight and painful, then it can be confused with just swelling or fat. An ultrasound is useful in distinguishing these and identifying the extent of the seroma. If the seroma is not yet encapsulated, then it is usually loose and has a 'fluid wave' or water bed type feel. Occasionally, a seroma can also become infected, especially if a permanent braided suture was used. This will have a hot, red appearance, and will eventually open up. I have never seen an infection from sterile aspiration of fluid.Best wishes,Pablo Prichard, MD

The good news is that if this looked good at a week, it will most certainly look good when all the swelling is resolved. 

The duration of edema (swelling) varies from person to person, but can take some months. The number of aspirations needed will likely prolong the course. The firmness is part of the inflammation and healing

 

Patience.

Best wishes.

 

Generally, it takes many months for swelling to resolve after tummy tuck surgery and it may take up to one year (or greater)  for complete skin redraping  to occur.
I hope this helps.

You can expect swelling up to 6 months after a tumm yck procedure. If you have seroma, then you may require longer recovery period. Seroma is not necessary a complication of tummy tuck, but rather an unanticipated but not unusual event. As long as it is drained properly, you should be fine. Daily massaging of the scare area will expedite the reduction of swelling. Be patient and trust your surgeon.

I am sorry to hear that you
developed a seroma. Usually when this
happens you get a little more scarring than normal under your skin against the
muscle. This is likely the firmness that
you are feeling. This settle in time but
it may be months or more.

I hope that helps.

Best regards.

Thank you for your recent question.  Any time you have a seroma following  a miniabdominoplasty that requires evacuation one must  expect that  there will be firmness and possibly  a lengthier time for recovery and softening to the abdomen.  Six months to one year after the surgery may be a realistic estimate as to when the  abdomen will recover .  Don't be too impatient.

 

Good luck to you.

 

Frank Rieger M.D.  Tampa Plastic Surgeon