Q: Purplish-Colored Mons Pubis After my Tummy Tuck. Is This Normal?
My mons has turned a dark purplish color. My drains were placed in this area. I am 1 1/2 weeks out from surgery and have had one drain removed. I am really tender at the drain site and I did have some lipo done in this area. I am so tender it is hard for me to deal with the drain. I also have hardness in the whole mons area. What does this mean? Is the tissue turning necrotic? How do I relieve the painful tenderness?
A: Purple Mons Pubis after tummy tuck/ liposuction
This is VERY Normal to have the mons become swollen, bruised and enlarged following abdominal surgery. Everything drains downward and the catch all is the mons. This area will often become enlarged and discolored and stay that way for quite some time. You also can have a vessel in that area bleed a fair amount with the placement of the drains. This is very common and will fully resolve. If you had liposuction of this area, it is more likely to have manifest swelling. Hardness would reflect either clotted blood or scar tissue inseting following the liposuction. In all cases, it will resolve.
Pain control following any procedure is critical. I recommend the patient’s take Ibuprophen 800 mg every 6 hours and add to this 1-2 Vicoden or equivalent narcotic as needed. The Ibuprophen will reduce the need for the narcotic by up to 50%. It is important to be up and moving and control the pain well. The pain will resolve on it’s own.
You can start massage to the area of hardness in 2.5- 3 weeks following surgery/ or drain removal (which ever is last) if your doctor agrees with that.
Good luck!