Liposuction Frequently Asked Questions
After Liposuction Surgery
When Can I Do What After Liposuction Surgery?
| WHEN (Approximately) | WHAT |
|---|---|
| First Day after Surgery | Get out of bed Go to the bathroom Eat food Walk around your home several times |
| Two Days | Remove bandages Shower or Bathe |
| Five Days | First post–operative visit with Dr. Virginia |
| One Week | Back to work Driving again |
| Two Weeks | Second post–operative visit with Dr. Virginia Bruising fades |
| Three Weeks | Strenuous activity can gradually be resumed as tolerated |
| Four Weeks | Physical contact sports can be resumed |
| Six Weeks | Third post–operative visit with Dr. Virginia |
| Six Months | Fourth post–operative visit with Dr. Virginia |
| Several Months | Fading of scars |
| One year | Fifth post–operative visit with Dr. Virginia |
See the When Can I page and the information below for more post–surgery details.
What happens right after my liposuction surgery?
Immediately after surgery: In almost all cases, you can go home right after the surgery. Someone will need to drive you, because you will still be groggy from the anesthesia and you may experience some soreness around your incisions. Dr. Virginia will call you in the evening to see how you are doing.
The first 24–48 hours: It is very important that someone stays with you for the first 48 hours. During that time, you will feel tired from the anesthesia, sore from the surgery, and you will need help taking your medication on time and getting food. The doctor will prescribe pain medication for you so that the soreness will not be excessive, but there will be some. You can remove the bandages and take a shower or bath the second day after surgery, but don't remove the steri-strips over the incisions. You may or may not choose to remove your elastic garment for the shower, but, if you do take it off, be sure to replace it right away and keep it on at all times—even while sleeping.
What can I expect during the recovery period from liposuction surgery?
Third day: Your discomfort level will begin to decrease dramatically.
Fifth day: Dr. Pittman–Waller will want to see you in her office on the 5th to 7th day, so she can check your progress. You may return to work, if your job is not overly strenuous.
Seventh day: Some patients experience a burning sensation at first, which should disappear by 7 to 14 days after surgery. You can start driving as soon as the pain has gone away and you no longer need to take pain medication. This generally happens about a week after surgery.
Two weeks: Dr. Virginia will want to see you again in approximately two to three weeks to check your progress. Your discomfort will continue to decrease markedly during the first few weeks. Whatever bruising has occurred will disappear by the second or third week.
Three weeks: Be sure to avoid heavy lifting or straining for the first three weeks. Strenuous exercise can normally start slowly after the third week.
Four weeks: Physical contact sports can normally be resumed after the fourth week and you can increase your level of strenuous exercise.
Six weeks: Dr. Virginia will want to see you again to check your progress.
Three Months: The doctor uses dissolvable stitches and they should be completely absorbed by the body after 3 months.
Can I drive myself home after liposuction surgery even if I do not have general anesthesia?
No. You will need to have someone drive you home, a relative or a friend, and help take care of you for the first 24 to 48 hours. After either general anesthesia or sedation, you will sleep a lot. You also have to take medications regularly and may not wake up at the right times.
I have a ride home from the surgery center after my liposuction surgery but my friend can't stay over that night. Can I do that?
You need to have someone stay with you for the first 24 to 48 hours. You will likely be sleepy and groggy and will need help to accomplish simple things like going to the bathroom and eating. It is very important to take your medicine on time and to follow any other instructions Dr. Pittman–Waller may have given you. There is a danger that you will fall asleep and not take your medicine or do other things on time. Someone needs to be with you.
I am coming from out of town for my liposuction surgery and will stay at a hotel. Can I take care of myself?
If you are coming from out of town and do not have family or friends in the area, then please let the doctor know so that arrangements can be made for a homecare nurse to be with you. It is very important that you not be alone during the first 24 to 48 hours.
What if I get sick and can't keep my medicine down?
Taking your medication with some food and water may help you keep it down. Salt also helps with nausea, either licking some straight salt or eating salty food. If you simply cannot keep your medications down, alert Dr. Pittman–Waller so she can either change your medication or prescribe an anti–nausea medication.
Why do I need to wear an elastic garment after liposuction surgery?
The elastic garment is very important. By pressing on the skin, it helps the skin adhere to the underlying tissue as the treated area shrinks and the swelling subsides.
How fast will my body heal after liposuction surgery?
The body normally takes three to six months, but possibly up to a year to fully heal after liposuction surgery.
Will I have swelling after liposuction surgery?
Swelling is very common, so it's not something to be concerned about. Sometimes, one area swells more than the other. Usually, the swelling migrates downward toward the lower abdomen and to the groin. The swelling will subside within a few days to a few weeks.
Will I have bruising after liposuction surgery?
You may or may not have bruising. Like the swelling, bruising may also migrate downward. Bruising can work its way down to your ribs, abdomen, groin area, and even as far as your upper thighs, though this doesn't seem to be really common. However, it does happen, but is not a complication.
A bruise that looks really swollen, discolored and feels firm, should be reported to the doctor. This could be a hematoma, a collection of blood in the tissue.
How can I care for the incisions after the liposuction surgery, so that they heal as nicely as possible?
After the wounds have closed, Dr. Pittman–Waller recommends using Mederma or Scarguard MD to help minimize scars. Applying one or the other to the wound twice daily for a couple of weeks appears to improve the final appearance of scars.
My body feels numb. Will I ever have sensation again?
Some people experience a loss of sensation for a while in the treated areas after liposuction. Be patient. The sensation will normally return. In very rare cases, the loss of sensation is permanent—but it's a very rare complication.
Psychological Reactions to Liposuction Surgery
Will I regret my decision to get liposuction?
Getting liposuction is a positive change in most women's lives. Recovering from surgery can be a difficult process for some. Along the way, some patients may have second thoughts and begin to wonder whether they did the right thing. It is a normal reaction and generally passes as your body heals and you recover from the surgery. You also need to give your body time to settle and the swelling to subside before you judge how it looks. Give yourself time to heal and to get used to your look. A recent study of liposuction recipients found an 86% satisfaction rate after liposuction surgery.
I hate my new look; my body's ugly and bruised and the doctor didn't take enough fat off!
Patience, patience, patience. You may have had someone else's body in mind as the goal you wanted, but what you will get is your own body with a new look. As we have discussed above, you have just had liposuction surgery. There may be bruising, your skin may feel stretched and swollen, and hasn't yet settled into place. Some people are hypercritical of their new look shortly after liposuction surgery thinking that it's not what they wanted. Your body will look much better six months after surgery than it does six days after.
I feel so depressed. Is this normal?
Surgery and anesthesia can be difficult on a person's body. Different people react differently. Some people have more depression after surgery of any kind than others do. During the postsurgery recovery period there are things we want to do, but we're not yet ready to do—and it can be frustrating. This is normally a passing phase that shouldn't last long. Remember, you're not alone. Other patients experience these feelings too.
More Liposuction FAQs
- Understanding Liposuction
- Health & Pregnancy
- Liposuction Surgery
- When Can I
- Liposuction Alternatives
Click here to schedule a consultation in our San Antonio plastic surgery office or call us at 210–826–2626.
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