At the 7 week mark

[st23]

Would it be strange to still have swelling at the 7 week mark?
I'm 42 if that matters. I had a mild case. The contour has improved. it just appears a bit puffy-especially on the one side. At my one month appt,the Dr seemed to think everything was ok. I still have swelling(unless he forgot to lipo) in the armpit area. I'm trying to be patient. If I have to wait longer,then I'm ok with it. I have a sinking feeling that the Dr didn't do the greatest job.Please talk me off the ledge. 

[Dr. Elliot Jacobs]

There is still active healing going on for up to 10-12 weeks after surgery.  Swelling is just one manifestation of the healing process.

I would recommend patience.  Make sure you are sleeping equally on one side and then the other -- or on your back.

There is more than enuf time to worry about results -- but evaluate the results at six months, not now.

Dr Jacobs

[DrPensler]

When I perform liposuction on say a female patient I tell her it takes four to six months to see the final result.I am not certain what you had done so it is impossible to be highly specific but it would be typical to have some swelling at 7 weeks.If things are improving albeit more slowly than you of your physician would like that would be more indicative of swelling.

[Litlriki]

I agree with the need for patience. Regarding your armpit areas specifically, they tend to stay swollen longer than the chest, possibly because compression up high in the armpit is often not fully effective (the garment doesn't always reach there) and also because the lymphatic drainage can be disrupted by the mechanical action of the liposuction process.  It seems to me that armpits always stay more swollen longer than the other parts of the chest. Of course, I can't say whether or not your surgeon did much suction there--just an observation in my own patients.

Rick Silverman