Lumps and Swelling After Tumescent Liposuction

                  Patients
undergoing tumescent liposuction of the abdomen will often develop swelling,
firmness, hardness and pain following this procedure.  During the procedure the liposuction cannula is passed
through the subcutaneous tissue. 
This causes disruption of the lymphatic channels and cellular injury
which results in these characteristic physical findings. 

                  These
findings can persist for several months following surgery.  In most cases improvement is seen
within 3 to 4 weeks following surgery. 
In other cases improvement may continue for up to 3 to 4 months
following the procedure.  Small
amounts of firmness may persist up to a year following surgery.

                  We
generally recommend the use of compression garments for about 3 to 4 weeks
following surgery.  We also recommend
low salt diets before and after surgery. 
Exercise is usually started early and we want
patients to ambulate as soon as possible following surgery.

                  Massage
is also helpful, it decreases firmness, hardness and swelling by mobilizing retained
fluid following liposuction.  All
of these steps minimize firmness and swelling and improve the patients
aesthetic result.

Thank you for you for your question. You are very early in your recovery from your liposuction surgery. Waviness and irregular areas are normal in the first few weeks after surgery. Hards areas imlprve with massge, extrernal ulytraspund and using yur garment.  Final results take 6-12 months. Discuss your concerns with your Plastic Surgeon

Most of the swelling will be gone in 2-3 weeks, but some firmness can last for a couple of months. You can assess your results at about the three or four month mark. You can try massaging the area with your surgeon's advice.

Swelling is common after lipo, and this takes weeks to resolve.  Lack of compression also prolongs the edema.  At the 6 week mark, things should be getting better. Thank you for your question and good luck with everything.

Swelling and the "lumpy-bumpy" after liposuction is quite common for 3-6 weeks before it improves. Give it some time. Some surgeons advocate the use of massage in various forms but this is not universally practiced.

Lumps and bumps after lipo are not unusual in my experience, even a few weeks down the road. In your case, the swelling could be from several causes, including too much early activity, not wearing a compression garment, and prolonged sitting.
I include a lymphatic massage for all of my clients because I think it speeds healing and reduces swelling. I also keep them in compression garments 24/7 at first.
The other doctors mentioned possible infection, and certainly any patient who develops swelling and increased pain a week or so after surgery needs to be seen.

This is not normal for most liposuctions. When pain and swelling occur 2-3 weeks later it is usually from too strenuous exercise or over doing it too quick and rarely, underlying infection. Also sometimes localized seromas (fluid collections in a ball) can form which need simple aspiration with a needle and syringe which your doctor can do easily. Please follow up with your doc to check it out and keep wearing your garment until he tells you differently.
Good Luck!

Skin irregularities after liposuction are very common.  Wearing a compression garment for 2 weeks after surgery will help, and then starting on a program of mechanical massaging will smooth out the irregularities.

Firmness and lumpiness are very common after liposuction of any type. If you are having skin irregularities it is possible that these were pre-existing.  It is the soft tissues normal response to trauma.  More than likely the swelling is better in the morning when you first wake up and gets worse throughout the day as you go about your normal activities.  Light massage is beneficial but in general it just takes time for this to resolve.  Look for it to remain about the same for the next three weeks and then begin to get better between the 6 th week and the end of the 3rd month.  Continue to wear your compression garment as instructed.

Thank you for your question.

Swelling is part of the healing process.  I ask my liposuction patients to wear a compression garment for 4 weeks post op surgery to help with the swelling.  The swelling can take months to subside and even longer for skin to “redrape".  At that point you will see the final results.

Some “lumps” are occasionally seen after liposuction surgery. Massage of these areas may be helpful. 

Best Wishes.