Hard Lumps Normal After Tumescent Liposuction?

Question

I had a Tumescent liposuction 21 days ago for my stomach and love handles.  On day 16, I developed some hard lumps right where my pants rest. I have noticed a lot of swelling and it looks like I never had the procedure.  Is this normal?

Jeff Angobaldo, MD · Answer

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 will improve over time. Massage, extrernal ultrasound and using your garment will help with the swelling and lumps.  Final results take 6-12 months. Discuss your concerns with your Plastic Surgeon

Joyce C. Chen, MD, MPH, FACS · Answer

Thank you so much for your question!  Having lumps after liposuction can be a normal part of healing.  These areas are scar tissue that form and with some massaging will soften with time.  Swelling in some patients persist for up to 3-6 months, and studies have actually shown that after one month, only 2/3 of the swelling is going.  Allow time for your body to heal and for the swelling to decrease.  Eating a low sodium diet and minimizing strenuous activity/exercise for a few weeks after liposuction can also help with swelling.  Hope this helps...best of luck!
Joyce C. Chen, MD, MPH, FACS

Jerome Edelstein, MD · Answer

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.

Richard J. Bruneteau, MD · Answer

It’s not unusual for patients to experience lumps and bumps
following tumescent liposuction for a variety of reasons.  During this procedure the liposuction
cannula is passed through the subcutaneous tissue creating a series of
tunnels.  Following surgery
patients wear compression garments to collapse these tunnels and remodel the
soft tissue.  Unfortunately, blood
may accumulate along these tracts. 
When this occurs and these clots solidify, they form lumps, bumps and
areas of uneven of unevenness in the subcutaneous tissue.

Gentle
massage of these areas usually results in resolution of the problem.  If you have concerns about hard lumps
following tumescent liposuction make sure you discuss them with your plastic
surgeon.  Your surgeon should be
able to formulate a treatment plan for this problem.

Vivek Bansal, MD · Answer

Swelling is common, and the pants frequently act like a tourniquet and inhibit the fluids ability to reabsorb or flow with gravity. This should subside and the compression garment should help as well.

Francesco Campanile, MD · Answer

Swelling
is part of the body’s natural healing response, and is very normal after most
surgeries, including lipo. Continue wearing your compression garment as your
surgeon recommended and keep drinking plenty of fluids and stay mildly active.
As for the hard lumps, these are likely tiny pockets of fat that were not
removed during lipo but were injured in the process. It takes time for the body
to resolve these, but they should not be a concern unless they become painful
or are still present after a few months.

Jeffrey Zwiren, MD · Answer

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.

Melanie D. Palm, MD · Answer

Tenderness, swelling, and skin hardening/slight irregularities can be normal in the 2-4 weeks following the procedure. At approximately 1-3 months, all of these improve and skin tightening begins to occur. Hang in there, final results are sometimes not achieved for 6 months after the procedure.

Karol A. Gutowski, MD, FACS · Answer

Swelling is common after liposuction and it may take 2-3 months to resolve. You may wish to mention it to you surgeon and may want to continue to wear a mild compression garment.

Pat Pazmino, MD, FACS · Answer

Liposuction is a very powerful and effective technique to recontour the body. After the procedure, patients should expect to see some swelling and minimal drainage from their small liposuction incisions. This drainage is some of the fluid that was added before your surgery that help the surgeon removed the fat safely and effectively. For the first several weeks after liposuction, your body may still have some of this fluid on board and will also have initiated the swelling process. The best thing to do is to try to elevate the area the body that received the lack suction as much as possible, where a compressive garment at all times, and try to limit your salt intake in your diet.

Hard Lumps Normal After Tumescent Liposuction?

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