Everyone is different in how their body reacts to surgery – swelling can vary from a little to quite a bit. The good news is that it will resolve and will do so gradually. Swelling will maximize the first week, and then its all downhill from there! Most of it should resolve in three to four months, although it can take longer, and even a few months longer still for the remaining swelling to resolve. I like to use compression garments (not binders!) with my surgeries. These are specially made for this procedure and really help minimize the swelling. The less swelling you get after surgery, the less you need to get rid of later! In my opinion, binders do nothing except cause problems (difficulty fitting, creases, etc).
Swelling after a tummy tuck can take about 3 months to go down significantly, but may vary with the exact procedures performed (If liposuction also done, swelling will be longer). The swelling seems to be worst in the suprapubic area ( right above the pubic hair). The scars mature over a year and take a long time to fade. But, many women seem to think its worth it.
As most of my abdominoplasties all include liposuction of the abdominal skin and flanks at the time of abdominoplasty, I often I have the patient see a local physical therapist to use external ultrasound and deep tissue massage and lymphatic drainage to reduce selling and soften tissues.
I find this really helps and patients do love their therapy sessions.
This is entirely dependent on the liposuction that is added to a patient’s tummy tuck. For patients that have very little need for liposuction and removal of skin only, then one would anticipate minimal swelling.
If however, there is a significant component of liposuction in addition to the tummy tuck procedure, I would anticipate that the swelling could last as long as three months.
Swelling after a tummy tuck surgery can take 6-12 weeks to resolve. I like my patients to wear a compression garment for at least a month after surgery. Your activity level can also contribute to the amount of swelling and how long it lasts. While I like my patients to be active, getting back to rigorous activity or exercise too soon can make swelling worse.
Abdominoplasty, or tummy tuck procedures are one of the best ways to improve your abdominal and torso contour after pregnancy or significant weight loss. The procedure often has multiple components including removal of excess soft tissue, repair of muscle weakness or stretching, and liposuction contouring of the upper abdomen and flank regions. Since multiple areas are extensively repaired there often is a large amount of swelling.
The majority of this swelling should improve within 4-6 weeks postop but may persist for several months. A support garment is often helpful to minimize swelling as well as a gradual return to any heavy physical activity. Discuss your concerns with your plastic surgeon and be patient. The final result is well worth the wait.
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A tummy tuck can be done as a solitary procedure. Many times the results are enhanced by adding liposuction to the hip and love handle area. A tummy tuck is also done in combination with a breast augmentation in a mommy makeover.
The majority of the swelling will settle over the first 3-4 weeks. After that there is still a slow change for many months. You won’t likely notice this as it happens so gradually, but photos taken between 1 month and 4 months would show a difference.
Swelling after a tummy tuck can vary with each patient. I find the patients who follow the post operative instructions carefully do best. 3-4 weeks after a tummy tuck, patients begin to feel better and sometimes become too active. This will contribute to further swelling for longer after the surgery. Most patients find some swelling persists up to 6 months after surgery. Wearing the compression garment early on after surgery is most helpful as well as following your surgeon’s instructions regarding activity. Be patient and give yourself time to heal.
A majority of the swelling will be gone by 3 months, however the last little bit (especially right above the incision line) can last much longer. If liposuction was performed at the same time, this also takes time for the swelling to resolve.
Many patients note firm areas along or above the incision line for months after surgery – just like the actual incision, the scar tissue takes a year or more to fully heal and settle. Little asymmetries, puckering, firm areas, the feeling of abdominal tightness, and occasional shooting pains will usually all get better over the first year after surgery.
I typically tell my patients that they will immediately look better when they wake up from their tummy tuck surgery. That being said, they will develop a fair amount of swelling over the first few days. When patients return for their first post-operative visit at one week post surgery, they are usually amazed at how much smaller they are then they were before the surgery.
That being said, I always emphasize to them that the results are going to continue to improve over the first 6 weeks as their swelling goes down. By 6 weeks, over 80% of their swelling is gone, and by 6 months they will see their final result.
Swelling is normal for a few weeks after the procedure is performed. It tends to decrease after the first 2-3 weeks but it could last up to 6 weeks. Swelling should completely disappear by 3 to 6 months.
You could still see improvements until a year after the procedure. In order to help patients get rid of the swelling, I recommend therapies such as an ultrasound massage and lymphatic drainage, which accelerate the recovery process.
Swelling after a tummy tuck is very person and procedure dependant. There are specific types of surgeon maneuvers that can lessen this swelling and certain procedures, like adding liposuction, that can lengthen the swelling.
In some cases, the swelling can be present for months. In others it seems entirely gone at 4 weeks. You can be confident that a little extra swelling at even
One of the best aspects of a Tummy Tuck operation is the fact that you can immediately see enormous improvement in abdominal contour. Nonetheless, it is expected that swelling will persist for several months after the operation.
The worst of the swelling usually decreases over the first couple of months, and the majority of the swelling has subsided by 6 months after surgery. However,