I had a tummy tuck and lipo 10 days ago and got on the scale today and gained 12 pounds, why and how come so much?

Question

The doctor told me not to weigh myself but after losing 180 pounds by having gastric bypass a couple years ago..I am never far from a scale! I expected some fluid retention but 12 pounds,,,is this normal? The doctor told me it will come off when I heal but would probably be about 3 months....3 months, really?? I cannot fit into any of my clothes. Is this much weight gain normal and will it really take that long to lose it? Talk about buyers remorse, ugh! :(

Eric A. Weiss, MD, FACS · Answer

I am sure you were shocked at being up 12 pounds. However, this is not unusual,and will go away. Remember, the doctor did not add anything(except fluid for the lipo)he just removed fat and skin. The weight will come off and I suspect much earlier than 3 months. Give it another week or 2 and get on the scale. I am sure you will weigh less than before the surgeryEric Weiss  MD

Barry L. Eppley, MD, DMD · Answer

Weight gain in the first weeks after tummy tucks and liposuction is very common and is, as you have mentioned, the result of fluid retention. Much of this fluid will be shed by 3 to 4 weeks after surgery and you should be back to either your presurgical weight or even less by then.

Jourdan Gottlieb, MD · Answer

Not knowing your current size makes it hard to put 12 pounds into perspective. The fact that you have lost 180 pounds suggest a major TT was done, and that amount of weight gain is not alarming to me. After c-section, many mothers go home after 3-5 days weighing more than when they were admitted despite the fact that the baby and placenta may have weighed 15-20 pounds. This is swelling, and will resolve. All the best.

I had a tummy tuck and lipo 10 days ago and got on the scale today and gained 12 pounds, why and how come so much?

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I had a tummy tuck and lipo 10 days ago and got on the scale today and gained 12 pounds, why and how come so much?

Answers (3)

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Everything you need to know about Tummy Tuck

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.