No bruising or incision marks after lipo. Is this normal?

Question

I'm 12 months PO from a TT with MR & lipo to your flanks. I've always been a bit baffled as to why I didn't have any incision marks or bruising considering I had lipo to my flanks. I asked my surgeon who told me that he lipo'ed my flanks while he was performing my tummy tuck through my tummy tuck incision. Essentially, he'd done it from the inside. Is this something that's done often? The reason I ask is because my flanks haven't changed size OR shape at all since my tummy tuck..,

Sheila S. Nazarian, MD · Answer

It isn't uncommon for surgeons to liposuction the flanks during the tummy tuck (no separate incisions), but at 12 months post op, you should be seeing a reduction in your flank area. Schedule an appointment with your surgeon to discuss. My best,
Dr. Sheila Nazarian
@drsheilanazarian on Instagram

Nelson Castillo, MD · Answer

Thank you for your excellent question.  Using the incision from a tummy tuck to approach liposuction of your waist/flanks is a commonly performed maneuver during the combination of procedures you had performed.  Bruising does not occur with each liposuction case but what does typically occur is swelling.  Swelling may be the cause for a lack of current changes to your overall shape but only your plastic surgeon can determine this based on what was performed during surgery. Hope this helps.

Vasdev Rai, MD · Answer

Flank liposuction is done from tummy tuck incision. Some times it is not ccompanied by bruising.  You need not be concerned about your observation.

Tania Medina de Garcia, MD · Answer

Hello dear, thanks for your post. There is absolutely no correlation between the amount of bruising after liposuction was a good or bad surgery.  Some 
patients have very significant bruising after a liposuction  and some
 have none.  The good news is your are on the right side of the bell 
shaped curve.  However, some people just bruise a lot and some don't.Good luck :)

Whitney A. Burrell, MD · Answer

It is possible to perform liposuction of the flanks from the area of the tissue to be removed after the tummy tuck, thus obviating the need for separate incisions.  If your surgeon felt comfortable he or she could gain adequate access to these areas, this is a reasonable approach. That there was no bruising is unusual, however.  At 12 months you should see the final result of the lipo.  If your weight is the same, your present photos should show an improvement compared with your preoperative photos.  May I suggest scheduling a follow-up with your surgeon and asking for this comparison.  It seems you're doubting the liposuction was even performed. If this is the case, discuss it with your surgeon, and if you still have concerns, do not hesitate to seek a second opinion with a board certified plastic surgeon.  Best of luck!

No bruising or incision marks after lipo. Is this normal?

Answers (5)