Hi Dr,
I’m just wondering what your thoughts are on this. I am 5 months po from a FTT, MR (full tummy tuck with muscle repair). I have been working out and still eating healthy as I did b4 surgery, BUT my hips and butt seem to expanding. I’ve been going for lymph drain massages for my tummy and while it is helping that, I can’t help but wonder if it’s pushing fluid to other places. Not only can I not get back into my preop size 8 jeans, but I couldn’t even squeeze into a 12! I’m frustrated because I keep hearing different theories on this.
Prior to surgery did your weight fluctuate much? Patients like this following abdominoplasty can gain this weight in new places. This can become a problem.
At this point swelling is usually coming down, although in large cases it may not be completely gone for 6-8 months. Did you have much liposuction with your tuck? Liposuction frequently makes swelling more pronounced for a longer period of time. Also if you smoke, try to stop it or limit it as it interferes with wound healing. Assuming you went to a good surgeon, give it time. It gets better.
Best Regards,
John Di Saia MD
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Originally posted 2005-09-18 17:44:00.
