Tummy Tuck: Prices, Photos, Reviews, Info, Q&A

Post tummy tuck swelling will last at least 2 months. Did you have liposuction at the same time? I do liposuction of the waist on my tummy tucks to help create a nice contour, and this adds to the swelling. It’s best to wear a compression garment for at least 4 weeks. Massaging all the areas is helpful as well. Many patients continue to
see resolution of swelling and improved results for up to a year, so try to be patient.

When it comes to recovery,every patient is different. I see a significant decrease in the swelling at about 6 weeks however it can takes months for all of the swelling to resolve. The compression garment will help resolve the swelling so be sure to follow your Board Certified Plastic Surgeon’s orders.

Any surgical procedure will cause swelling after the surgery. The time for the swelling to resolve is dependent on many factors. Because a tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) is one of the more extensive surgical procedures performed by plastic surgeons, the swelling will last for a significant amount of time. The initial swelling lasts only for several weeks, but the final 5-10% will take several months to resolve. Post operative swelling is normal, and is just a pert of the healing process.

Most major post-operative swelling resolves gradually over the first few weeks, and the “swelling” of scar tissue beneath the surface and beneath the incision line as it goes through its “thickening” process will take a few months to flatten and soften. There is also a swelling that comes and goes (better in the morning after lying flat all night, worse in the lower tummy during the day when you are upright) that is due to lymphatic fluid collecting above your incision line, and this continues to resolve over a few months as new lymphatic channels re-form across the incision line.

The amount of post tummy tuck swelling depends on the extent of surgery, whether liposuction was done at the same time, degree of compression and the amount of activitiy postoperatively.

Most of the swelling is resolved after 6 weeks. Sometimes patients mistake thickening around the incision as swelling. This in fact is scar tissue that takes about one year to remodel and disappear.

The wound-healing process following abdominoplasty lasts for over a year. Most of the swelling resolves in six to eight weeks, but small amounts of swelling may persist for up to a year. The procedure inevitably interrupts the abdominal lymphatic drainage, and this takes time to re-establish itself.

Patients can minimize swelling with compression garments, massage, and limitations on activity level. It’s important to remember that swelling is a normal part of wound-healing and should resolve with time.

I tell my patients that at one month about half of the swelling resolves, 85% at three months, and full resolution in 12-18 months. There are many variables to this formula such as the type of tummy tuck (mini, standard, lipoabdominoplasty, fleur-di-lis, corset, circumferential) and the associated procedures that can be combined ie. lower body lift. In all regards, this time frame is pretty accurate.

The good news is your shape is improved immediately after the surgery! The hanging skin and fat is gone and the abdomen is flat and the hips are better contoured if you had liposuction also.

Probably 40% of your swelling will be gone after the first 4 weeks. Another 40% will be gone after 3-4 months.

The last 20% takes the longest time, probably another 6-9 months. Of couse you will have more swelling if liposuction is performed with the tummy tuck. As a general rule I tell my patients that as long as the scars are still fading you are still healing, inside and out.

In general post tummy tuck swelling can take 3 months to settle. 95% of the swelling should be gone by four weeks. If swelling persists for a prolonged time, you may have a seroma (fluid collection) or the abdomen may be protruding and making it look swollen.

Please give it about 2 months. This is a gradual process. The incision will take about 1 year to look great. A tummy tuck has a very high patient satisfaction rate but the recovery is one of the most difficult. Typically swelling after a tummy tuck lasts for about 6 weeks. Be sure to wear your compression garment for the entire 6 week recovery period. This is very important to help reduce swelling.

Resolution of swelling following tummy tuck surgery varies. Most goes down in the first 2-3 months but I have seen continued improvement even after 6 months, especially when a large amount of liposuction was done.

All body and facial shaping surgery is associated with post-operative swelling. The duration of NOTICEABLE swelling depends on the area of surgery, the extent of undermining (IE how much was lifted and separated to allow the surgery) and what if any other procedures were done (such as Liposuction).

Noticeable swelling after a Tummy tuck lasts approximately 6-8 weeks. At that time it begins to rapidly subside and the tissues soften.

But the underlying healing continues for 6-8 months. Swelling is very individualized. The more involved the procedure, the more there will be swelling. But in general, the majority of swelling will go down after 3-6 weeks. However, you might notice swelling for 4-6 months.

This may be exacerbated by exercise, diet, alcohol consumption, to name a few. If you only had the TT will last 3 months aprox, but if you had it in combination with liposuction will last 4-6 months, I will recommend you use a garment through all of this time, 3 months using it will give you a very nice figure.

The majority of swelling with a tummy tuck is resolving in the first 6-8 weeks, however there seems to be occasional periodic swelling that comes and goes over the next 6-8 months. Some days seem to be more than others.

This may be impacted by the activity or perhaps the sodium content in the diet. Fortunately, this does eventually settle down! The length of time for resolution of swelling after a tummy tuck varies accordingto the skill of the surgeon, the reaction of the patient and the extent of surgery.

For the first few weeks the entire abdomen is mildly swollen and tender. An elastic binder is very helpful in reducing the swelling. There will be a presentable appearance by that time. At a month nearly 90% of the swelling will be gone but there will be residual swelling along the low suture line for upwards to four months.