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Liposuction
What Are These Hard Lumps Post-Liposuction?
There are several possibilities at the one week point after upper arm liposuction, The first possibility is those lumps and bumps are hematomas (collections of bleeding) that are new or that weren't detectable initially, after symptoms of swelling. The other possibility is small areas of fat "necrosis" (or dead fat). If these areas are small they should resolve with time. Massage can also aid in this process. As always - whenever you have an unexpected turn in your post-op recovery you should absolutely speak with your plastic surgeon.
Clinical Context
Liposuction uses a thin cannula that tunnels beneath the skin, which can disrupt small blood vessels and fat cells along the way. Sometimes bleeding gets trapped in these tunnels instead of draining, forming a firm pocket that slowly reabsorbs as the clot breaks down. In other cases, fat cells that lose their blood supply during the procedure die off in small clusters; the body gradually clears this tissue over several weeks. Both processes can feel like a firm, isolated lump rather than the general swelling seen elsewhere after surgery.
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