Since my lipo, I have a 7 cm long indentation at my waistline. The binder folded into this area constantly, possibly creating or worsening it. The tissue above and below is firm & sore. At my 1 week follow up, 4 days ago, Dr recommended monitoring of my spanxs to assure proper fit for next 4 weeks and massages. Its isnt getting better.
What else can I do?
At just a few days post-op, it is too soon to tell your final result. Keep in touch with your plastic surgeon and keep all future appointments. Follow his or her instructions carefully.
An indention, if it does not resolve in time could be improved with structural fat grafting. Grafted fat will create its own blood supply and become permanent. Many plastic surgeons, myself included have performed corrective surgery on patients who had liposuction performed by physicians without adequate experience.
By coming to this site, I imagine that your surgery was performed by a board-certified plastic surgeon. Liposuction is the most commonly performed aesthetic surgical procedure and it is often performed by physicians who are not plastic surgeons with no formal surgical training. Lipsuction, when performed well is a surgery that requires finesse, attention to detail and expertise for the best results and the safest experience
You can expect the firmness will resolve over 6 to 8 weeks. Irregularities during the immediate post-operative period are not uncommon. Massage, therapeutic ultrasound and monitoring of the garment are usually appropriate at this stage.
Irregularities which persist can commonly be treated by refinement of the tissue. This may include fat grafting or additional liposuction, to improve the contours. Liposuction which is performed by an experienced board-certified plastic Surgeon may occasionally have irregularities. In experienced hands, these issues will typically resolve or can be corrected.
Thank you for your excellent question. Spanx is a great garment to wear for the long term but has a tendency to “roll” at waist line and can cause unequal distribution of pressure on abdomen. I suggest a more durable binder or Faja with hook and eye closure the first 4-6 weeks to provide both greater pressure and more even distribution of pressure. Patience, this will correct without additional surgery.
Dear Silent Jane,
Hello and thank you for your excellent question. I agree with many of the comments on this thread. At only 10 days postop, it really is not possible to judge your results. I can completely sympathize with you in that it is hard to be patient, but you really need to wait to see your final result at 3 - 6 months. If you have any questions, call our office for assistance. Good luck!
It is definitely too soon to judge the result. Just wait. And if approved by your doctor, try to say away from the corsett for a few weeks. You will be surprised at the improvement over time.... Be patient for now...keep in touch with your doctor...