What You Can Do To Speed Liposuction Recovery
One of the very first things our New York liposuction candidates want to know about is recovery. We won’t sugarcoat it: the liposuction post-op period is nothing to be afraid of, but it’s generally not as easy as it is for some procedures. Assuming you’re interested in sculpting a few areas, you’ll want to prepare for some discomfort and a few days of rest. But take heart! Liposuction is one of the most satisfying procedures for our patients, and with just a little preparation your initial recovery will be brief and quite tolerable.
Downtime
You’ll need to prepare to be at home and mostly off your feet for a few days. Most patients take about a week to return to light activity and sedentary work.
What you can do:
• Prior to your procedure, gather some materials that will help you rest quietly. You may want to have a stack of books, magazines and puzzles by your bed, a laptop handy and some music and movies ready to go.
• Have at least one compression garment and wear it as directed. Before surgery, it’s a good idea to think about clothing you might need when you return to work. Investing in a loose fitting pair of pants or skirt and perhaps a tunic style dress might help you wear the compression garment comfortably.
• Eat a healthy diet rich in protein and vitamins.
Discomfort
Unless you plan to target just a small area, liposuction will probably cause you some discomfort for a few days. Why? It’s because the cannula passes through layers of tissue several times to dislodge those stubborn fat pockets and suction them away. This action results in bruising, swelling and soreness. Don’t worry–very few patients report acute pain. But you will likely have some discomfort.
What you can do:
• Be sure to fill your pain medication prescription prior to surgery and take it regularly to “stay ahead.” Also have an over-the-counter pain reliever available to you as well. Your doctor will advise you about this.
• Consider asking someone to look in on you for the first two or three days, and perhaps help you prepare a meal or care for pets. Although you should walk a bit to avoid blood clots, it’s best to recline most of the time initially. You may find that limiting the need to change position will help.
Swelling
In the consultation room in New York, liposuction patients learn to expect a double dose of swelling following their procedure. As you may know, fluid is injected into the tissues during the procedure, and the action of the cannula causes swelling as well. It takes time for all that liquid to dissipate.
What you can do:
• Follow your plastic surgeon’s recommendations about activity very closely. Too much, too soon can lead to additional swelling.
• Wear your compression garment! It truly does make all the difference!
• Limit your salt intake.
• Be patient. Don’t panic if it seems swelling is taking a while to resolve, but call your plastic surgeon’s office with any concerns.
If you’re thinking about having liposuction, no doubt it’s because you are tired of battling persistent pockets of fat that just will not go away. Whether your problem is love handles, a belly pooch, a bra roll, saddlebags or chubby knees—or maybe a combination—liposuction can accomplish what diet and exercise can’t.
Our patients in New York agree: liposuction delivers results that are well worth a few days of moderate discomfort and a few weeks of patience with swelling. Come talk to us and let’s see if the procedure is right for you!
