Tummy Feels Soft and Not Tight After Tummy Tuck

Question

I had a Tummy Tuck 9 days ago and my tummy is not very tight. It looks flatter (there is some swelling) but it feels soft. Is that normal?

J. Timothy Katzen, MD, FACS · Answer

Hello mommy tummy,

Thank you for reaching out with your question.

It's entirely normal for your tummy to feel soft and not very tight just 9 days after a tummy tuck. It's crucial to remember that the final results of a tummy tuck procedure can take several weeks to months to fully manifest.

During the initial stages of recovery, your body is still adjusting to the changes made during surgery, and swelling is a common occurrence. This swelling can affect the sensation of tightness in the abdominal area.

I encourage you to be patient and give your body the time it needs to heal properly. Follow your surgeon's post-operative instructions diligently, including wearing compression garments as directed, and attending follow-up appointments for monitoring.

If you have any concerns or notice any unusual symptoms during your recovery, don't hesitate to reach out to your plastic surgeon for guidance and reassurance.

Wishing you a smooth and successful recovery journey.

Sincerely, Dr. Katzen

Steven Wallach, MD · Answer

It is difficult to say what your abdomen should feel like without an exam at this point and to know what type of surgey you had and hwo you started out.

William H. Huffaker, MD (retired) · Answer

If your abdomen was firmer and now it feels soft, you could have fluid above the muscle. This is not uncommon and can be aspirated easily in the office. Normally if this occurs, it will have to be aspirated several times before it disappears completely. Go back to see your plastic surgeon.

David N. Hing, MD (retired) · Answer

Abdominoplasty ( tummy tuck ) involves removal of extra skin and fat in the lower abdomen, using an elongated football pattern for the skin and fat tissue excision.  It may also involve tightening of the vertically oriented rectus ( sit-up ) muscles, with the use of sutures.  Not every surgeon will do a muscle tightening or plication  with every abdominoplasty.  This will based upon whether or not you have been pregnant or been heavier with subsequent weight loss.  These factors may stretch the muscles further to the side than normal and lead a surgeon to do a muscle plication for the abdominoplasty patient. If the intra-operative anatomy of the rectus muscles shows that there is no separation of the rectus muscles, your surgeon may choose not to do a rectus tightening.
 
At 9 days, there could be enough residual swelling after the tummy tuck to to add padding over the area of the tummy tuck so that you cannot feel the muscle wall, even if your surgeon did a muscle layer tightening.  You should ask him if the rectus muscles were plicated as part of your procedure.
 
If no plication of the muscles was performed, then softness of your abdomen may be an expected finding.  You should wait 3-4 weeks for the swelling to subside before concluding that your abdomen is  or is not firm and tight.
 
It is important that you clarify with your Board Certified Plastic Surgeon what was done as part of your procedure to understand whether or not the softness of your abdomen is what is to be expected.  Hope this leads you to a better understanding and an answer for your  post-operative observations.

Tummy Feels Soft and Not Tight After Tummy Tuck

Answers (4)

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