Swelling over my Tummy Tuck Incision - Is This Normal?

It is expected and normal to have swelling following a tummy tuck, and that can make the area above your incision look puffy. The swelling in your photo looks entirely within the normal range of postoperative swelling. This should improve with time. If it does not, or if there seem to be focal areas of swelling, it is possible you have a fluid collection called a seroma. Your surgeon will be able to determine if this is the case when he or she examines you. 

Although most wounds get hard after surgery, peaking at 4-6 weeks after operation, a skilled examination by your doctor will differentiate this from something more serious, like a collection of fluid. Stop by and ask him/her.

Swelling can last up to a year after surgery.  Be patient and take it easy until then.  24 days seems like a ling time post op but it really isn't even a month!

Your result for 3 weeks is good.  It is very normal to have some swelling above the incision.  Many times scar massage will help with this.  Also there is the possibility of seroma or fluid accumulation in the space beneath the skin and this would need to be aspirated.  Just check in with your surgeon and they will let you know what to do.

Good luck with your new body,

Dr T

Be sure to take it easy as you are still only 3 weeks out from your tummy tuck. It often will take a few months to return to normal fluid control in that area.
 

Your results appear quite normal for the time after surgery.

Often the area above the incision swells temporarily due to decreased drainage (while the incision heals).

You might want to talk to your surgeon about postoperative compression, the appropriate activity level, and creams and laser therapies you can use to maximize your healing after this type of surgery.

Thank you for the question.

As always, it is best to be seen in person ( by your plastic surgeon) for precise diagnosis and treatment.

Abdominal wall "swelling" after tummy tuck may be related to:

1. Swelling in the soft tissues.  This may take several months to resolve and may worsen with increased activity  or at the end of the day.   Patience  is required to allow for resolution of the swelling. The swelling occurs because of the interruption of venous and lymphatic channels that occurs during the tummy tuck operation.
2. Fluid accumulation in the space between the skin and the abdominal wall muscle.  this may consist of blood ( hematoma)  or serum (seroma).  This fluid accumulation can generally be diagnosed by physical examination ( occasionally ultrasound  may be helpful).  Treatment consists of aspiration;  several episodes of aspiration may be necessary. 
3. Separation of the abdominal wall muscle repair may lead to a swelling/bulge appearance. This may be diagnosed on physical examination  with your surgeon examining you in different bodily positions. One of the steps of a tummy tuck procedure involves reapproximation (plication)  of the rectus muscles.  These muscles have spread apart during pregnancy and/or weight gain. Bringing them together again in the midline helps to “tighten” the abdominal wall as well as to narrow the waistline.
4. Residual adipose tissue may be confused for swelling. Again this is most easily diagnosed by physical examination. Additional liposuction surgery maybe necessary to improve the results of surgery.
Generally, it takes many months for swelling to resolve after tummy tuck surgery and it may take up to one year  (or greater)  a complete skin redraping  to occur.
I hope this helps.

Based on the photograph, you have a lot of residual swelling. You need to give it some time to go down. As for the scarring, you will be entering the inflammatory phase of scar healing soon and can expect the scar to become a bit more obvious until it settles down. Just be patient and reassess the results in a few months.

Edema actually takes months to resolve after an abdominoplasty, so yes, at 3 weeks it is very normal to have noticeable swelling.  An additional component that is visible at that time is the effects of the multiple layers of sutures used for closure.  Within the first 2 weeks of surgery, you might have noticed that the incision looked higher than the skin around it, or that there were visible "dents" near the incision at somewhat regular intervals.  These are caused by the deep dermal sutures, and they disappear as the tissue relaxes.  There typically is an additional layer of sutures on a deeper fascia layer that holds tension, and this creates another ridge (about 1-2" wide) along the incision.  As this layer relaxes, the visible transition from the lower abdominal skin to the upper skin also smooths out.  Normally it happens in the order of 1 to 3 months, so most patients don't notice it happening.  You look good at 3 weeks, so expect to continue to look better over the next several months.

Dr.B

The most persistent area of swelling after a tummy tuck is just above the incision. The effects of gravity and temporary lymphatic obstruction take this area the longest to settle. It is also possible that you may have a fluid buildup (seroma) which feels more like a waterbed than just firm swelling. I would check with your plastic surgeon at your next follow-up visit. The final result from tummy tuck surgery takes longer than 3 weeks to see as it is an evolving process. Until you get to the final outcome will take up to 3 months until all swelling completely goes away.