AboutAlan M. Engler, MD, FACS Expertise Dr. Engler has answered over 2700 plastic surgery questions for Allexperts. His expertise is in cosmetic plastic surgery including breast surgery (breast enlargement with implants, breast reduction, breast lifts), liposuction, eyelid surgery, tummy tucks, facelifts etc.
Dr. Engler has been listed as one New York`s Top Doctors, and as "One of the World's Most Famous Aesthetic Surgeons" (Aesthetic Surgery, TASCHEN Books, Angelika Taschen, Editor). He is the author of 4 books, including "BodySculpture" (a best-selling plastic surgery book on breast surgery, liposuction and tummy tucks), "EyeScapes" (Plastic Surgery of the Eyelids), "Restylane," and "The Slim Book of Liposuction."
Dr. Engler has two US Patents for surgical instruments that he's designed, and has appeared on numerous television shows, including The Tyra Banks Show, The Ricki Lake Show (four times), and the Dr. Keith Ablow Show. Videos of his appearances are available on YouTube (SEARCH FOR "DR. ENGLER"). His website is www.bodysculpture.com.
Experience Dr. Alan Engler is a board-certified plastic surgeon in New York and the author of BodySculpture - Plastic Surgery of the Body for Men and Women (ISBN 0966382749) one of the top-selling plastic surgery books on amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, etc.
Education/Credentials Dr. Engler graduated from Yale University (undergraduate) and the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University (medical school). He did his residency training in General Surgery and, after that, Plastic Surgery, at the Montefiore Medical Center in New York. He is on the faculty of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York.
Question Dr. Engler,
I had a thigh lift and tummy tuck in December 2008. I have recently noticed a large (almost the size of a baseball) knot in the scar from my thigh lift. It is at the end of the scar near my knee. It doesn't really hurt but does seem sore probably due to my feeling it frequently. It is hard and uncomfortable. Do you know what this might could be and what would need to be done to treat it?
Thanks so much for your time.
Shani
Answer from Dr. Alan Engler
www.bodysculpture.com
Hi Shani,
I'm sorry for the problem you're having, and I'm going to assume that you're talking to your own PS about this, too.
A few things come to mind:
1) This could be a backup or collection of fluid, such as blood if you had any bleeding there post-operatively, or lymph (which is fluid that helps swelling go down - simplistically - and it takes a while for those connections to reform after surgery). You should have an ultrasound performed to see whether or not it is full of fluid, or is solid. If it's full of fluid, it could possibly be drained (aspirated) although you have to make sure that it's not a backup of blood vessels).
2) If it were a little smaller, it might also be a large dogear, which is an irregularity that can appear at the end of a linear scar closure. This may go down on its own, since it, too, may be related to a backup of drainage fluid (lymph, serum, etc) but if it persists, it can also be revised surgically.
However, if it is that large, it certainly needs to be assessed before anything is done to it. I would recommend obviously talking to your PS, but consider an ultrasound and possibly a CT Scan to get a good look at it. With more information as to what it is, the treatment required, if any, may become more obvious.
