Swelling after Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty)

Tummy Tucks are a highly popular procedure — particularly for postpartum women and individuals who have lost an excessive amount of weight. To reap the rewards of this surgery, though, you must be patient. Although your desired outcome is a flat and more functional abdominal wall, the final results will not reveal themselves for several months due to post-surgery swelling.

UNDERSTANDING SWELLING AFTER A TUMMY TUCK

Swelling (and bruising) is to be expected after any major surgical procedure. And initially, with a Tummy Tuck, the swelling may be pretty dramatic. So, what causes bruising and swelling after a tummy tuck? The area of surgery is quite extensive, from the horizontal surgical scar from hip to hip, right up to the rib cage internally. This disrupts a lot of tissues, and they respond by bruising and swelling. It’s all a natural part of the healing process. However, keeping the swelling under control is essential. Fortunately, there are things we can do to help prevent excessive abdominal swelling.

COMPRESSION GARMENTS: THEIR ROLE IN CONTROLLING SWELLING

When controlling postsurgical abdominal swelling, your compression garment is your friend. These garments are vital in your recovery for reducing swelling and must be worn at all times except when bathing. A compression garment stimulates circulation and helps the body reabsorb fluids released into the area faster. This will reduce the amount of swelling.

Compression garments are also excellent to wear as they help minimise pain, decrease bruising, minimise the chance of infection, put less stress on your stitches and result in a faster recovery and better overall results from the procedure.

WHEN WILL I NEED TO WEAR MY GARMENTS?

Prior to your surgery, our team will take your measurements to determine which garment size will be required. At the end of your surgery, before you are woken up, Dr Dona and the theatre team will put you in your garment. This is effectively a firm-fitting body suit which starts from above the knees to your underboob region.

You must wear this night and day and only remove it when showering.

In addition to this garment, when you attend our clinic for your first post-operative appointment, the nursing team will also provide you with an abdominal wall binder to wear on top of your garment. This is designed to apply additional pressure and further help with the contouring and control of your swelling.

However, you will be perfectly fine removing these compression garments/binders for an hour or so now and then if you want a break from them.

MANAGING SWELLING: HOME TIPS FOR REDUCING INFLAMMATION

You can also do plenty of things at home to help minimise swelling in your tummy.

• As mentioned above, wear your compression garment
• Avoid all strenuous activity
• Don’t lift anything heavy or strain for the first six weeks — this will stress the area.
• Gently massage and moisturise your scars — this will help direct fluid retention out of the soft tissues and into the lymphatics and bloodstream.
• Stay hydrated – drinking lots of water helps flush excess fluid from your body.
• Take anti-inflammatory medication if prescribed – Dr Dona may prescribe anti-inflammatory medication to help control discomfort and swelling.

LED LIGHT THERAPY

At Bella Plastic Surgery, we employ Light Therapy (LED) as a therapeutic treatment method post-surgery to help reduce pain and discomfort. Following a Tummy Tuck procedure, swelling and inflammation can lead to pain. Our LED therapy device reduces swelling and inflammation and promotes rapid healing following surgery. LED therapy will also speed up the healing of surgical incisions, thus reducing the risk of wound issues and, therefore, optimising scar formation to provide neat and linear scars.

LED therapy can be used in various colours, including red and near-infrared, which are helpful after surgery. Red light has a wavelength of 633 nm and passes through the outermost layer of the skin to reach the deeper layers (the dermis). Once it has reached the dermis, it stimulates fibroblasts – the cells that produce collagen in your skin. This helps to heal surgical scars and reduce redness. We also use Near Infrared Light, which has a longer wavelength of 830 nm. This reaches the deeper layers of the skin and tissues, providing more therapeutic postsurgical benefits and further reducing skin and tissue inflammation.

Light Therapy sessions for our Abdominoplasty patients typically start on the day of discharge from the hospital. This is because they are often discharged mid-morning, so coming straight to our clinic is relatively convenient.

Usually, the clinic will see post-operative patients daily, three times per week, for the first three weeks. After this time, patients are often ready to return to work that involves light activities only.

THE IMPACT OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY ON POST-SURGERY SWELLING

You must follow your surgeon’s instructions after any major surgery. In your instructions, you’ll see that we recommend some very light activities to incorporate into your daily routine. Initially, this simply involves getting out of bed, taking a few steps, and mobilising gently around the house. Provided you go gently, physical activity positively impacts postsurgical swelling, as it helps promote lymphatic drainage and improve circulation to relieve swelling.

DIET AND HYDRATION: HOW THEY AFFECT SWELLING

Good nutrition and maintaining adequate hydration are vital for your post-surgery recovery. Although it may sound strange, the more you drink, the less likely you retain fluid. Eating the right foods is also essential. You’ll need to include fibre-rich foods that will help avoid constipation, which can be quite painful to experience after abdominal surgery. Include protein to help your body rebuild tissue and get more vitamin C through foods like citrus fruits, red capsicum, berries and broccoli. Limit processed foods and avoid alcohol, as alcohol can dehydrate your body, which may hamper healing.

HOW LYMPHATIC MASSAGE CAN HELP WITH SWELLING

Lymphatic massage is an excellent treatment to help reduce swelling after surgery. In particular, your abdominoplasty procedure would have disrupted the skin’s lymphatic channels, which are fundamental to recovery. Creating new lymphatic pathways takes time, so lymphatic massage can help improve the process. While conventional massage focuses more on muscles, lymphatic massage focuses on improving the lymphatic system in the skin. Using slow, regular, low-pressure movements, the masseur will cover the affected area and possibly surrounding areas so that all fluids are draining correctly. Due to pain and the fragility of the surgical wounds, you would only consider this after three weeks.

UNDERSTANDING SWELLING AND SCAR HEALING

Keeping your swelling under control post-surgery is not just for aesthetic reasons. If you can minimise inflammation, you’ll also minimise the risk of developing deep scars.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

HOW LONG DOES SWELLING LAST AFTER A TUMMY TUCK?

Swelling after a Tummy Tuck can last for some time. You should notice that there will be a considerable amount of swelling for the first four to six weeks. Residual swelling could last for a good six to eight months.

Immediately after your surgery, your stomach will begin to swell as a natural response to the trauma/disruption. This is why you’ll be fitted with a compression garment straight after your procedure. Most individuals will experience significant or even dramatic swelling in the tummy area, especially near the incision points. There may also be some bruising and tenderness.

After three or four days, the swelling may increase and is totally normal.

During weeks two to four, your swelling should start to subside slightly. However, it won’t go away completely. This swelling and puffiness is totally normal but will eventually pass. During weeks four to eight, you’ll still have some residual swelling.

HOW LONG DO I HAVE TO WEAR THE GARMENTS FOR?

The garment and the abdominal binder must be worn continuously for six weeks. However, many patients will continue to wear one or both of these for many weeks after this point as they find them both physically and psychologically beneficial. Patients will typically slowly wean themselves off the garments, wearing them for fewer hours during the day or night, as the swelling gradually and fully resolves.

WHEN IS SWELLING A CAUSE FOR CONCERN?

Post-surgery swelling and bruising are to be expected, and it’s likely that bruises typically start to look worse before they get better. During your first few weeks, whilst attending your regular scheduled appointments, our nursing team and Dr Dona can watch you carefully to ensure any swelling you develop is well within the normal range.

CAN I TAKE ANY MEDICATIONS OR REMEDIES TO REDUCE SWELLING?

After your surgery, your surgeon may occasionally prescribe nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories to help reduce swelling. Other than drinking plenty of water and taking anti-inflammatories, there are no other medications you need to take. If you want general instructions on reducing inflammation at home after abdominoplasty, please see our paragraph above on home tips to reduce inflammation.