Home / What's going on? / Tummy tuck recovery
Post-operative care · South Berkeley
Tummy Tuck Recovery Lymphatic Drainage. The swelling may last longer than you expected.
A tummy tuck interrupts many of the lymph pathways across your lower abdomen. Your body is still making fluid after surgery, but many of its usual routes have been cut across. That is why you can feel tight, heavy, numb in places, and still very swollen weeks later, even when you thought you would be much farther along.
- Common start
- When your surgeon clears you
- Typical course
- A plan that changes as you heal
- Also covers
- Fleur-de-lis and mommy makeover
- First step
- A free phone call with me
What is happening in your abdomen
Fluid has nowhere to go.
The lymph vessels in your abdomen follow regular routes. A tummy tuck cuts across many of them at once. Your body still makes fluid as part of healing, but the routes that normally carry it away have been interrupted.
MLD does not force fluid out. I gently guide it toward pathways that are still working, sometimes across the body toward lymph nodes the surgery did not affect. That is why I may work far away from your incision, especially in the beginning.
Keeping fluid moving matters because fluid that sits can start to harden. Once tissue becomes firm, it usually takes longer to soften and settle.
The fluid is there after surgery. My job is to help it find a better way out.
What this helps with
These are the things people call me about.
I need your surgeon to clear you before we begin.
Swelling and tightness
Most people call because of swelling and tightness. Gentle, steady work over time usually helps more than trying to do too much in one appointment.
Fluid and seroma risk
I help keep fluid moving through the early weeks. If a seroma has formed, that needs to go back to your surgeon.
Bruising
Helping lymph move supports your body’s work of clearing bruising and damaged cells.
Numbness and strange sensations
Numbness and strange sensations are common across the lower abdomen. Gentle work helps the tissue settle.
Hardness and fibrosis
Firm or lumpy areas can show up as you heal. They are usually easier to address early.
Scar work, later
Once the incision is fully closed, I work with the scar using my hands and Dolphin microcurrent. Abdominal scars can stay tight and pull for years.
Timing
When to start and how often.
Your surgeon decides when it is safe to begin, and I stay within those instructions. Some surgeons are comfortable with very gentle work in the first week or two. Others want the drains out or prefer to wait longer.
The schedule changes as your body heals. Early on, appointments may be closer together, then spread out as the swelling settles. I will not decide how often I need to see you before I understand what is happening, and we will also talk openly about what works for your budget.
A fleur-de-lis tummy tuck includes both a horizontal and vertical incision. A mommy makeover may also include breast surgery. That gives your body more areas to heal, so the plan may need to be different.
Scar work starts only after the incision is fully closed and your surgeon is happy with it. It is worth coming back for.
Worth saying plainly
Where my work ends.
I do not diagnose a seroma
If you have a pocket of fluid that is not moving, or an area changes suddenly, call your surgeon that day. I do not diagnose seromas.
Anything sudden goes to your surgeon
Call your surgeon for new swelling, redness, warmth, fever, or unusual pain. MLD is not the answer to a possible complication.
I do not do wound care
If the incision opens, we stop. Your surgeon needs to handle it, and I resume when they say it is safe.
I will not promise a number
I cannot tell you how often I need to see you before I know what your body is doing.
Before you call
Questions people ask me.
How soon after a tummy tuck can I have lymphatic drainage?
It depends on your surgeon, whether you still have drains, and how you are healing. Some people begin in the first week or two with very gentle work away from the incision. Ask your surgeon, tell me what they said, and we will plan from there.
How many sessions will I need?
There is no set number. The schedule depends on your surgery, how your body is healing, and what I find when I see you. We may meet more often early on and spread appointments out as the swelling settles.
Will it hurt?
It should not. MLD is very light, and early work stays well away from the surgical area. If anything feels uncomfortable, tell me and I will change what I am doing.
Can lymphatic drainage prevent a seroma?
Keeping fluid moving may help, but I cannot promise that it will prevent a seroma. If one forms, your surgeon needs to handle it.
When can you work on my scar?
When the incision is fully closed, the steri-strips are off, the scabs have come away, the skin is intact, and your surgeon is satisfied. It is worth coming back for.
I had a mommy makeover, not just a tummy tuck. Is it different?
Yes. Breast surgery also interrupts lymph pathways in the upper body. The work is still gentle, but there is more of your body to support.
You may also want
These pages may help too.
The next step
Tell me where you are in your recovery.
Set up a free 15-minute call and tell me what procedure you had, the date, and what your surgeon has told you. I will help you understand when it may be safe to start, what kind of schedule may make sense, and what is normal for where you are right now.