Feeling Bloated After A Tummy Tuck - What should I do?

Dr. Thomas A. Pane, MD

Atlantic Coast Aesthetics
4360 Northlake Blvd. Suite 106
Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410

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The Question

One of the most commonly performed, and yet most misunderstood and misrepresented, cosmetic surgery procedures is the tummy tuck. Often done for men and women who have lost a lot of weight through bariatric surgery, diet and exercise or childbearing and birth, this procedure is designed and intended to eliminate loose skin around the midsection and create a tighter, firmer-looking abdomen. However, this procedure must be approached with realistic expectations from both the provider and patient sides, as the focus of this week’s Ask Dr. Pane segment shows. 

The viewer, from our YouTube audience, asks, “Feeling bloated after a tummy tuck—what should I do? [At] 6 weeks, I feel super bloated and my lower abdomen looks like it used to before the tummy tuck and muscle repair and so I have to hold in myself like I use to. But the doctor is telling me that is because of what I been eating. Can I request them to check with an ultrasound now to see if everything is ok with the muscle repair or what should I do? [This] is my first plastic surgery in my life.”

The Case

The viewer did not provide any other medical history or before and after photos, so Dr. Pane stresses this answer is only a “best guess” based on experience and the patient’s description of the current situation. This should not be taken as a substitute for an in-person consultation, nor should it be considered an indictment of the surgeon who originally performed the procedure.