Swollen abdomen after tummy tuck
You are only two days after the surgery, and have handicapped online Plastic Surgeons by not seeing how you looked before the surgery.
It would always be best for you to consult the Plastic Surgeon who performed the surgery.
No one’s opinion will be better than referring this question to him or her.
I don’t think you have anything to worry about at this time, but I have no way of assessing this without a thorough examination. Always call your Surgeon. (Francis (Frank) William Rieger, MD, Tampa Plastic Surgeon)
At two days after surgery there is no way to judge how flat your abdomen will eventually be. This does not look abnormal for this early after surgery. (Gary Lawton, MD, FACS, San Antonio Plastic Surgeon)
At this point you are still extremely swollen. Before pics are always helpful as you can then compare. Swollen can persists for weeks to months. Be patient as this will continue to improve. Maintain a healthy lifestyle and I would recommend following up with you plastic surgeon for an exam. (Allen Gabriel, MD, FACS, Portland Plastic Surgeon)
Tummy shape after surgery
Your outcome after tummy tuck surgery depends on your appearance before surgery. Without preoperative photos there is no way to know if this is actually a major improvement in your abdominal contour. A tummy tuck can only remove excess fat and skin superficial to your muscles so there are inherent limitations to the procedure. (William Andrade, MD, Toronto Plastic Surgeon)
Shouldn’t my tummy be flatter? I know I’m swollen and only 2 days post surgery. But I figured it would be flatter?
Two issues! First as you wrote, “only 2 days’! Allow at least 3 months healing. Second issue is no before photos posted to compare. But I bet you were over weight with external subcutaneous fat and visceral internal fat. Thus the results are going to be limited. (Darryl J. Blinski, MD, Miami Plastic Surgeon)
Without pre-op photos an accurate assessment and recommendation can not be made. Generally speaking, the convexity or the bulging out of the abdomen post-operatively is due to the bulging pre-operatively. In other words, your internal organs and contents push outwardly.
Surgery for a Tummy Tuck does not change these conditions. This disclosure must be made pre-operatively – that you will not be totally flat. (Thomas Trevisani, Sr., MD, Orlando Plastic Surgeon)
Although your concerns are understandable, it is much too early to evaluate the long-term outcome of the procedure performed. Keep in mind, that online consultants not knowing what you look like pre operatively and exactly what operation was done for you (for example how much liposuctioning), will not be able to provide you with a specific enough assessment to be truly helpful. Your plastic surgeon will be your best resource in this regard; he/she will also be able to rule out complications that cause more than usual swollen. I would suggest that you communicate your concerns directly with him/her; again, nothing replaces in-person evaluation for accurate assessment, advice, and/or reassurance.