Question:
Experiencing hardness in belly after LBL 2 1/2 weeks ago

I had a lower body lift 2 1/2 weeks ago. I had 6 drains and I am now down to 4. The area below my belly button is extremely hard and a little lumpy in about a 6 inch area between the incision and belly button. My doc says this is fat areas that have lost blood supply and become hard and it may or may not go away and/or become soft. Have any of you had this following PS? Did it go away? I've been massaging it several times a day hoping to "break it up". My doctor does not use binders because he doesn't want anything inhibiting blood flow. ALso, he took 7 pounds of skin off. I am only 2 pounds down from the morning of surgery. I'm wondering if this is all fluid weight or if I've gained weight due to lack of activity. Any thoughts?    — Denise B. (posted on January 27, 2005)

January 27, 2005
First of all the only weight you have "gained" is fluid. It took 2 months for the full 19 lbs removed in my LBL to be reflected on the scale, so do not fret. At 2-1/2 weeks you are just a babe in the swelling department. You will typically see changes in your body for 4-6 months. I know I did. After the first few months it is very minimal and it may take 3 months to realize things have shifted and you may have gone down another size. <p>I have no reason to doubt your surgeon's opinion, but fluid is still a very real possibility. Just because you have 4 drains left does not mean that the fluid is getting to them. So keep doing what you are doing and give it time. I have some hard spots along the incision lines up my inner thighs but just small areas and I know over time they will soften more. I also have an egg sized seroma that if I squeeze on the fluid disperses but it always returns. It's just how you describe it - extremely hard. I don't have any particular words of wisdom other than to keep in touch with your surgeon and know that if there is indeed a problem it can be revised and revision work is sooooo much less involved than the original work. I've had revision work down with each of my 2nd and 3rd PS and the recovery is pretty quick, compared to the first time. I hope to have my lateral thigh lift revised this fall and I know it won't be nearly as bad this time as it was with the LBL.
   — zoedogcbr