Those that have had an arm tuck done?

Hi, I am very frustrated I had an arm tuck done last Tuesday and the extra water weight seems to like staying on my body!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  How long did it take you to lose the water weight from the anethesia??  Thanks  One frustrated lady every time I hit the scale!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Gail

It's not just the anesthesia that causes the edema, it's also the circulatory system seeking collateral circulation after surgery.  Swelling is normal and will last for a long time. I'm 12 weeks out and I still have a lot of swelling after being up all day.  i wear my garment during the day and off at night.  Do you have an arm garment?  Don't weigh for a while - you'll just be disappointed.

I started seeing the swelling go down slowly starting about 3 weeks after surgery.  My fingers swelled really bad the first week or so.  I wore my compression garment for about 2 months then was done with it. 

I cant wait for it to be  3 weeks it is only10 days so far. I cant wait to see the scale go down. In the morning specially my arms are the most swollen. So I guess I have something to look forward too(LOL)

Just to give another perspective .  . .  I had the arms done and they aren't not swelling at all.  I am 4+weeks out and don't have swelling in the arms at all  . . . now don't ask me about the TT
 

I had brachioplasty with liposuction about 7 weeks ago and I'm still very swollen. My forearms are tender and my left elbow is extremely swollen. My doctor claims I just need to be "patient." (I punched him in the nose and told him that I AM patient!!!)   Just kidding! 
I guess I'm not really as patient as I thought, though, because I'm disappointed with my results and tired of feeling all swollen and tender.

 

NM, I'm still swelling too.  I haven't worn my garment all day for the first time since having surgery 12 weeks ago.  My arms have swollen a bit and they feel odd, like they aren't my arms.  I had a swelling area on my right elbow and my doctor said it was a small seroma. Does it hurt?  Mine was very painful and then it disappeared.  My forearms were tender until about 2 weeks ago.  It will get better. 

Thank you for sharing this with me. It makes me feel better! 

I think I do have a seroma, since it does hurt. I was part of an art show last Wednesday and you know how people sometimes greet you by grabbing you at your elbow? Yeah, a dozen times I got grabbed by my elbow and I wanted to fall down and throw up every time!   I was like,"Can't you just grab my butt or something?! Please?!"    I had to chat with people about my artwork while clenching my teeth! 

I have an appt with my doc tomorrow, so hopefully he'll clear some stuff up for me. I feel like I'm the only person who didn't wear a compression garment. I had extreme swelling in my left arm and hand and the doc told me to remove the bandages. I asked if I should be wearing something and he told me that the swelling has to go somewhere and it was his opinion that the compression garment would simply make my hands swell like balloons.  I'm wondering if I would have better results, however, if I had worn one?

Thanks again,
Nicci

Hang in there Gail!
The body is like a sponge....as we mess with it it holds onto fluid.
ALSO, when the arms are done the surgeons are working in and around the lymph system and that messes things up.  Swelling can be worse.

Are you using good compression?  I swear the swelling for me got better after I put on the compression sleeves the second time.  The first time I stayed swollen much longer (I hated the ace bandages, they kept falling off!).

Oh- the other BIG IMPORTANT thing.  Make sure you are keeping your arms elevated.  Lay down on the bed or on the couch and put 2 pillows under your arms.  That will help you a lot!!!  The arms have to be resting higher than your heart for the fluid to drain from the lymph system.

Hang in there kiddo....call me if you need to vent.
TTFN
Ruth