Lots of Swelling at 3 Weeks After Tummy Tuck?

Swelling three weeks after tummy tuck and liposuction is normal. It can take more than 4-6 months for the swelling to disappear. Wearing compression garment will help with the swelling. You should consult with your physician to make sure you did not develop any fluid (seroma) or blood (hematoma) under the skin. When seroma is large in volume, sometimes you can feel the fluid moving under the skin and when you feel the skin it moves like a waterbed.

You would clearly have a sizable amount of swelling three weeks after all the surgery you've undergone. Nevertheless you should check with your surgeon to make certain that you do not have a drainable fluid collection under the abdominoplasty flap.

Thank you for your question. Swelling three weeks after a tummy tuck is normal at 3 weeks.  This can be more pronounced when combined with liposuction.  You should consult your surgeon to make sure you do not have a seroma or hematoma.  Otherwise, with time your swelling will resolve. It will take 3-4 months for your swelling to resolved completely. Best wishes on your recovery.

Without pictures, it is difficult to truly give a good answer to your questions.  At three weeks, swelling being present in the surgical areas is very normal.  Sometimes people will feel larger and bloated for several weeks.  It will pass with time.  You are still very early in the recovery period.

Swelling at 3 weeks after tummy tuck and liposuction is absolutely normal. Having swelling in the areas that were liposuctioned is normal, and yes it can even look puffier than before (early on, and then it gets better with time). Without seeing you one cannot say whether your case in particular is normal. I would not expect the volume in the liposuctioned areas to double in size though. That sounds more dramatic and I would make sure you are keeping close followup with your operating surgeon. I have found that patients who have tummy tuck with abdominal or flank (love handles) liposuction tend to keep their drains in a little longer, be swollen a little longer, and wear a binder a little longer than when the tummy tuck is done without liposuction. The results of liposuction will not be at the final result at 3 weeks in any patient. This is still considered early in your postoperative course. Generally speaking it is normal to feel bloated and swollen at 3 weeks, but I recommend seeing your surgeon to make sure you don't have anything more serious going on.

It's perfectly normal to have swelling 3 weeks after a tummy tuck. I advise my patients to wear a support garment and to avoid exercise for the first 6 weeks. Keep your appointments with your plastic surgeon.I hope that helps and wish you all the best!Dr Knoetgen

Hello and thank you for your question.


Swelling is very normal after 3 weeks post op. You are still in the very early stages of healing. Please try to be patient as it takes several weeks to months to see your final results. If you have still have concerns I would be sure to mention them to your surgeon so that he/she can reassure you.

Best of luck to you.

So without pictures it's hard to tell what is going on but let's review what happens after surgery.  I tell all of my patients never to step on the scale after surgery because their weight will be up 10-15lbs.  This occurs because after surgery the body detects significant stress and thus releases stress hormones.  The purpose of these hormones is survival.  So they will allow your body to retain fluid.  Fluid = life.  This fluid shows up as skin/tissue swelling and weight gain.  After the stress of surgery is over the fluid will be release and removed via urination.  Typically this occurs around 4-6 weeks after surgery.

Also, bloating is caused by the effects of narcotic pain medications that we all typically prescribe.  The narcotics cause constipation leading to the bloated feeling and again weight gain.

Finally, hematomas or blood under the skin can cause that appearance of swollen skin.  You would see a fair amount of bruising below the surgical area.  You would need to talk to your surgeon about this.

Some amount of swelling is to be expected by 3 weeks. Without some photos it is not really possible to offer any reassurance or advice. Please consider reposting this question with pictures from  before and now.

Best wishes.