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

A tummy tuck is one of the bigger operations performed in plastic surgery. Accordingly, the recovery is longer, and the swelling can last for several months. I generally advise patients not to evaluate the final result for 3 to 6 months after surgery. At this point, all of the swelling should have subsided. The tummy tuck scar takes about 1 year to remodel.

The scar should be aggressively massaged beginning at 1 month postop. I prefer to use a silicone ointment for this twice daily.
Compression garments worn at 1 month out from surgery (e.g. spanx) can also help with swelling on a day to day basis, and some women have found these to be helpful.

Most of your swelling after tummy tuck and lipo is gone by 3 weeks but it will be several more weeks before it is 100% gone. If you had liposuction in your abdomen or flanks this will increase the swelling and how long it lasts. At 3 weeks you could still have a little abdomenal bloating if you are not back to normal in the eating and bowel movement area. Narcotic pain meds can constipate and make you bloated and appear swollen.

The time for the majority of the swelling to diminish is typically 2-3 months depending upon the extent of the tummy tuck. You should have a rough idea of how you will look at 4-6 weeks after surgery but the final result won’t be evident until 6-12 months. It is generally safe to buy new clothes at ~3-4 months.

You can be swollen for up to two weeks and this is normal. It may take up to six months for all swelling to subside. Swelling is generally controlled through the use of a drain tube as well as wearing a compression garment.

Swelling can last for several weeks with tummy tuck surgery. This is due to the large area of tissue that is undermined during surgery.

Compression garments can help as can lymphatic massage routines. It is important to follow up regularly with your plastic surgeon as there sometimes can be something called a seroma following tummy tuck surgery. This can be a stubborn collection of trapped fluid under the tissue. Diagnostic ultrasound can determine the difference between swelling after tummy tuck and lipo and a seroma in most cases if there is a concern.

After Tummy Tuck surgery, most of the swelling is gone by 6-8 weeks. There is some mild swelling that can continue for up to 3 months after. What I have found to be incredibly helpful is to give my patients Lymphatic massage therapy with a certified therapist when they are about 4 weeks post op through the 8th week.

This really speeds up the recovery process and gets the fluid moving faster. Lymphatic massage restores the flow of lymph which is the bodies slow moving fluid channels.

Swelling happens naturally after any surgical procedure; it is the way tissue responds to injury. After an abdominoplasty, the worst of the swelling peeks at approximately 3 days and then gradually begins to mobilize and resolve. Usually by 2-3 weeks out you can see significant improvement, but it can actually take months for it to completely subside – especially if liposuction is done at the same time. For the first few weeks after surgery it is best to avoid sleeping on your side because gravity causes the side that is down to swell more than normal and it can actually cause stitches to pop or the whole healing process to take longer.

It is best to check with your surgeon before you make any drastic changes in activity as he/she knows best what exactly was done for you, and can advise you in the most accurate way.

Although every patient heals differently, most of the early swelling after tummy tuck and lipo will likely be gone by ~ 6-8 weeks after surgery. Often resolution of the mild residual edema does take 3 or more months to completely resolve and a final result as long as 6 months or more. One thing that should be evaluated by your surgeon is to make sure you do not have a fluid collection especially if all of your drains were already removed.

A fluid collection or seroma may appear like a water balloon or fluid wave in your abdomen (usually lower) when standing and gently pressing on one side or the other of your lower abdomen.

Most of the swelling will be gone after the first 6 weeks, but you can still see improvement even a year later.

Swelling after a tummy tuck is part of the natural healing process and affects every patient. The degree of swelling depends on several factors: the type of tummy tuck performed, whether or not liposuction was performed, and each patients individual body type and healing capabilities.

The majority of the swelling after a tummy tuck resolves in the first 2-3 months; however, this continues toimprove for 6-12 months after surgery, and for some patients even longer. I recommend that all my patients wear compression garments for a minimum of 6 weeks, but most actually continue them for about 3 months because they find them comfortable and helpful with the healing process.

Tummy tucks are a major surgery that involves tightening your abdominal muscles (diastasis) and removes excess skin under general anesthesia as an outpatient procedure.

Patients typically have drains in place up to 2 weeks and need to wear a compression binder up to 6 weeks when most of the swelling is gone and the muscles have enough scar tissue to prevent stretching out again. Activity and high water intake can increase swelling and is reduced depending on how patients are doing. Minor residual swelling can last up to 3 months and everyone heals differently.

The majority of a swelling after tummy tuck and lipo will last around 3 months. When the abdominal skin is elevated from the abdominal muscles the normal drainage pathways call the lymphatics is temporarily disrupted. This leads to persistent edema of the abdominal skin. It is important to wear a compressive garment such as a corset around the abdomen for three months. This will help to reduce the edema of the abdominal skin until new lymphatic channels develop in the abdominal skin.

The corset will also help to reduce or prevent the abdominal muscle repair from stretching due to movement. Full healing and scar maturation take at least a year.

Post tummy tuck swelling can last 2-6 months depending if liposuction is performed at the same time and how much water retention you tend to have. The swelling will resolve sooner if you continue to wear the compressive garments, watch your salt intake and return to an active lifestyle as soon as you are physically capable or released to do so by your plastic surgeon.

Bottom Line: the swelling will resolve! be patient and continue good eating habits and a healthy weekly level of activity. Although you will look good in a short amount of time it usually takes at least 6 months for all of the swelling to go away. The area just above the scar will be the slowest to resolve.

It is quite normal to have swelling from surgery during the first 6 weeks. Most plastic surgeons do use drains to collect any excess fluid and minimize swelling. You do need to avoid excessive activities for this can increase swelling. After the drains are removed, massage can be helpful. Wearing an abdominal binder or spanks can also help minimize swelling and remind you to avoid excessive movement.

The surgery averages 4 hours and often has several drains. They are removed from 2 to4 weeks. Your healing will take a true 9 months but most of the swelling will resolve by 3 months. Take zinc, vitamin c , vitamin e and arnica Montana. These will assist in healing. Quercetin and bromelain will decrease your swelling.

The majority of swelling will be gone 6-8 weeks following surgery. The swelling may not completely resolve for 6-12 months.  The amount of swelling you have post-operatively can can depend on what procedure was performed.  If liposuction was performed, you may have more swelling and it may take longer to resolve.