Soreness and bruising typically peak about 3 to 5 days post-op and then begin to diminish more each day. My patients go home with a compression garment over their bandages, which provides support and protection, helps decrease swelling, and encourages better long-term liposuction results.
We recommend our patients plan to take at least one week off from work after having liposuction. The first 1-2 weeks of recovery after the procedure is when you will experience the most discomfort and swelling. Swelling will likely get worse throughout the first week, so take it easy and listen to what your body needs.
The area will probably be bruised and swollen for at least 10 to 14 days. You will be able to return to your normal activities as soon as you feel comfortable. This may take several days to a few weeks. Most people can return to light work within a few days.
While 70% of your swelling should subside within the first month of your procedure, it can take up to a year for the rest of the swelling to go down. So, depending on your unique recovery period, your final results may take up to a year to see.
Depending on how much fat is removed, you can expect to see final results between 1-3 months after the procedure.
By the 2-week mark, soreness is usually reduced to a minor annoyance, and swelling is receding noticeably. Most patients no longer need prescription pain medication after the first 3 to 7 days, if they need it at all.
Swelling is a normal and temporary part of healing after liposuction. The bulk of swelling will go down within a few weeks of your procedure to reveal a slimmer and more toned appearance. Some degree of residual swelling and fluid retention can remain after that, obscuring final results for months.
Week One to Week Three
The majority of your discomfort and swelling will occur during the first 1 to 3 weeks following liposuction surgery. Once the first week has passed, however, you will notice that you begin to feel a little bit better each day.
You should start taking several short walks throughout the day within one to two days of liposuction. This helps to improve circulation, reduce swelling, and speed the recovery process.
The First 72 Hours
After you are home from the procedure, it's important to lay down and rest. You'll have a compression garment to wear and there may be small drains placed at the surgical sites to keep fluid from building up. Dr.
It is quite common to feel fatigued after surgery, regardless of whether it was a minor or major procedure. This is because your body expends a lot of energy afterward trying to heal. There is an immune response that kicks in, which can be physically draining as well.
What Are the Best Ways to Reduce Lipo Swelling? Doctors recommend several best practices to help keep swelling down after your liposuction procedure. These include wearing your compression garment, using ice packs in affected areas, staying hydrated, and in some cases, massages.
Physicians generally recommend you exercise at 25% of your normal effort level during the first phase of recovery.
Liposuction will NOT improve the appearance of loose, sagging skin. Liposuction is not an all-in-one body contouring solution. If a patient's primary concern is loose, sagging skin, then a procedure like Tummy Tuck surgery, Arm Lift, or Thigh Lift may be a better option to remove excess skin.
Once the fat is removed from an area, it does not grow back. The fat cells that remain can get bigger with weight gain. Because there are fewer fat cells in the treated area (as compared to before the procedure), other areas of your body which were not treated may appear to increase in size.
Ultimately, the most you can lose with liposuction is likely to be about two dress sizes, which is a significant change. This is why so many patients in The Woodlands choose liposuction to help enhance their body shape.
A general recommendation is to have three to five massage treatments, but some patients may experience benefits from as few as one to two treatments. Your cosmetic surgeon can advise you as to whether lymphatic massage will benefit you following your liposuction or other surgical procedure.
While you may be passing regular bowel movements, it's normal for your body to retain fluids for 2-3 weeks after your surgery. So, between bowel movements, fluid retention, and swelling, bloating can be an uncomfortable but normal side effect of surgery.
Your abdomen will always be smaller than it would have been without lipo – but that doesn't mean you can eat whatever you want and never gain weight. Again, it's something you have to maintain – liposuction isn't a quick fix and shouldn't be used like one.
It is important to stay hydrated after liposuction surgery. Therefore, patients should increase their water intake to at least 64 ounces every day. This will help reduce swelling following surgery, regulate digestion, and flush out harmful toxins.
Answer: Liposuction Recovery
It sounds like you are experiencing normal swelling after liposuction and it will resolve with time, however all of it may not be gone for as long as six months after surgery. The body expels swelling in various ways and some fluid is absorbed and eventually excreted with your urine.
Drinking water is fine after liposuction and actually decreases edema by getting rid of sodium when you pee. It is the salt (Sodium that helps retain water in the body).
During liposuction surgery, some of the small nerve fibres may have been disrupted and you can have occasional numbness called paraesthesia. The itchy sensation is also an indication that the nerves are recovering. You may feel sensations of numbness, itch and burning before it gets back to normal.