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Tummy Tuck
Tummy Tuck - Swelling After 4 Weeks
Swelling can take some time to resolve. The swelling comes from a combination of issues including edema (fluid) in your soft tissues as your body heals, as well as the fact that the surgery itself has interrupted the small lymphatic channels that return fluid from your body. Until these heal fully, you may notice some puffiness. Swelling is also usually worse towards the incision.
Clinical Context
By four weeks, most of the fluid your body produced right after surgery has started to resolve, but tissues that were operated on can still hold extra fluid while new drainage pathways rebuild. This often shows up as puffiness, especially near incisions. A seroma is different: it feels like a distinct soft pocket in one spot rather than general fullness. New redness, warmth, or worsening pain aren't part of normal healing swelling and are worth mentioning to your surgeon.
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