Is lump on hip swelling or fat? No improvement in 4 weeks. (photos)

Hello, thank you for your question and photos. The photos indicate that you are healing well at #eightweeks post #Tummytuck. Your body can have #swelling from three, six to one year post tummy tuck. I suggest you keep your PS in the loop. Let him know your concerns and keep up with your appointments. An in-person #evaluation is always best, so follow your PS's post-op care plan and keep your appointments. Best wishes!

Without any guarantee that this asymmetry will resolve it can very easily be explained by differential swelling. Continue to be patient and stay in touch with your surgeon.

It is very early in your postoperative recovery. A tummy tuck involves 'lifting up' your stomach skin, dividing lymphaticdrainage vessels under the skin surface, pulling down the skin under tension and excising the excess skin. The skin from your scar all the way up to your rib cage is in a new area or environment. IT can only drain  fluid up and to the sides until  new lymphatic connections are reestablished. Therefore, drainage down is compromised. This is why patients are asked to wear compression garments after surgery.These garments help with the removal of fluid downwards.Scar tissue formation peaks around 8 weeks. It is not until around 12 weeks that scar tissue has matured and things begin to normalize. This is why most post operative photos are not taken until 3 months after surgery.Swelling will continue to improve even out to a year.Hang in there.

I am sorry that you are having issues about your procedure
and thanks for sharing your question. I can appreciate your
concern.



Without a physical exam is difficult to diagnose the problem. from your pictures there is definetively some differences among sides. possibilities are fat necrosis (death fat that takes longer to absorb), bony prominence, or simply swelling.

Finally, make sure that your doctor is
aware of your process. He should be able to guide you best in your care.

Wishing you the best in your journey

While photos help demonstrate what is bothering you, there is no comparison to an actual exam.  It may not appear to have changed in 4 weeks to you but does appear to have improved from your 2 photographs.  At this point, it really could be either.  Some clues to its cause would come from closer exam.  Firm possible fat necrosis versus edema.  Compresses with finger pressure...edema, improves with wearing your garment....edema.  If the area is soft and pliable, it may represent an area of residual fat.  My recommendation is that I would follow this up at 6 months...If still present, I would recommend treatment with spot liposuction which could be easily performed in the office. One of the things to ask your surgeon about prior to surgery is how such fees get handled.  Are revisions and touch up's deemed necessary by the patient and surgeon covered as part of the initial surgery fee? 

At 8 weeks out you still have swelling and you may not be able to judge your final results for several more months.  If it is fat then you will need some more liposuction.  Continue to follow up with your PS.

8 weeks following tummy tuck you are doing well. Yes you may have slight asymmetry of your upper flanks(mid back), but over all looking great. As you get used to your improvements, you will start noticing other areas that catch your eye.