She had a tummy tuck, which frequently has side effects including foot edema. Swelling happens when fluid seeps into the tissues and forces them to contract. It can be extremely unpleasant and the swelling may last for a few weeks. Even though the swelling is only transitory, it must be treated to decrease its severity.
By keeping your legs as elevated as possible, you can lessen swelling and ease pressure on the area where fluid has gotten into your tissues. If you’re unable to raise your legs, try sitting on a chair with your feet up on a stool or ottoman. Blood clots could develop in your lower limbs if you sleep with your feet raised.
Feet swelling after tummy tuck
A stomach tuck, commonly known as an abdominoplasty, typically results in some swelling following such a major procedure. The duration of edema following a stomach tuck varies on a variety of variables. Understanding the causes of edema could help you mentally get ready and have more reasonable expectations for your recovery and outcomes.
Swelling after a Tummy Tuck Is Normal
A stomach tuck, commonly known as an abdominoplasty, typically results in some swelling following such a major procedure. The duration of edema following a stomach tuck varies on a variety of variables. Understanding the causes of edema could help you mentally get ready and have more reasonable expectations for your recovery and outcomes.
Swelling Can Fluctuate throughout the Day
After your initial swelling goes down, minor swelling continues and can be affected by your daily activity. This is because gravity is not your friend. For instance, long hours standing up can increase swelling in the abdomen, but this usually goes down after a good night of sleep. Once you start exercising, you may also notice increased swelling following workouts.
Tips to Help Reduce Swelling
There are several things you may do to lessen the intensity of swelling, even though it is a normal part of the healing process.
The greatest thing you can do to reduce swelling is to adhere to your post-operative stomach tuck recovery guidelines. For the first several weeks, you’ll be told to wear a compression garment. Other recommendations for reducing edema include:
Getting lots of sleep
drinking water
eating a sodium-free, healthful diet
elevating your thighs
Stages of swelling after tummy tuck
do many Pittsburgh tummy tucks, and everyone laments the lower abdominal swelling and discomfort it brings on after the procedure. The bad news is that every patient experiences lower abdomen edema following stomach tuck surgery. Depending on how well you adhere to your surgeon’s recommendations and your general health, it might vary dramatically in how noticeable it is or how problematic it gets! I prefer to explain to patients what to anticipate before surgery at my plastic surgery practice in Pittsburgh so they are ready for the unavoidable.
After a belly tuck, you can anticipate some swelling, which will peak around days 3–5. Three will significantly reduce your bruising and/or swelling.
Post Operative Swelling: Why Does Swelling Happen?
When a horizontal incision is made across the lower abdomen, the skin just above the incision now has an altered blood supply. Blood can get in, but it has a harder time getting out because the veins run north to the chest and gravity works against them. Patients that have had flank liposuction at the same time as an abdominoplasty seem to have more swelling. I do this frequently to contour the waist. A basic principal is the fatter or thicker your tummy skin prior to the surgery, the higher the likelihood you will have prolonged abdominal swelling.
Avoiding Swelling After Tummy Tuck Surgery
The good news is that there are some fairly simple steps you can take to reduce the swelling after tummy tuck surgery and speed your post-tummy tuck recovery.
Get Rid of the Bulge: Lie Flat
I always advise my patients to spend the first four days after surgery lying with their chests fairly flat and their legs elevated to aid in venous return from the skin flap and from their legs, thereby reducing the incidence of deep venous thrombosis, in order to prevent swelling after their tummy tuck/abdominoplasty procedure. EVERY OTHER HOUR, stand up, move around, hastily eat, then lie down again. SITTING IS THE KISS OF DEATH and will cause your blood and swelling fluid to collect in your pelvis, causing more abdominal swelling. It’s nearly as harmful to lie in a “V” position. Bad recliners raise the chest rather than the legs.
Retained Seroma: What To Do
Your surgeon should check to see whether you have a retained seroma, or chronic fluid accumulation, if after two weeks after surgery your lower abdomen feels thick and woody. An 18 gauge long needle and 30 cc syringe can be used to aspirate this off. Don’t stop using your compression garment, and try to avoid sitting too much. The seal can sometimes be improved by lying with a thick, flat book on your tummy.
After removing a drain from a patient, I have to replace it every 20 patients or such. I will occasionally use this opening to tighten the closure, de-fat the edges, and re-excise a portion of the middle incision. Additional surgery improves the outcome and treats the seroma and abdominal edema.
Cold Feet After Tummy Tuck Surgery
Undoubtedly, postoperative swelling is the most notable feature of healing from a stomach tuck. Don’t be frightened; this is a fully expected and regular aspect of the healing from a tummy tuck, as well as almost any surgical operation. However, there are several things you can do to help keep it under control. Swelling after a belly tuck might linger for several weeks. There are three effective strategies to shorten the time that a stomach tuck takes to heal:
- Wear compression clothing: As part of your postoperative regimen, you will be required to wear medical compression clothing, which is designed to reduce swelling and encourage normal, effective healing. Your compression clothing must be worn as instructed, which may be 24 hours a day for several weeks.
- Keep moving: While it’s important for patients to keep moving and get enough rest
3. Watch your diet: Whether you have had surgery or not, eating too much salt can exacerbate swelling, bloating, and water retention. A common misconception is that drinking more water will make the swelling worse, but the opposite is actually true. Make sure you stay adequately hydrated and minimize your sodium intake to reduce tummy tuck swelling.