Liposuction is a fantastic way to remove stubborn fatty deposits from the stomach, arms, thighs, and buttocks, and almost everywhere.
It creates slimmer, firmer bodies and can enhance self-confidence and improve body image.
If you are considering liposuction, you may have many questions, one of which may be 'What will the recovery process be like?' It is a good idea to understand what will be required post-surgery before you start the plastic surgery procedure.
Some types of liposuction require incisions and some use just tiny holes to get to the desired area of fat.
Either way, manually removing fat from your body can be a traumatic event to your system, or it will need time to heal.
The more extensive the liposuction, the longer the recovery process will take.
To start off with, immediately after your liposuction procedure, you will be very groggy for most of the day or night.
You will need someone to take you home from the surgical center and to be around to help you for the first 24 hours post-op.
Your doctor will prescribe you some pain medications that this person can help you fill right away after surgery.
You may need to start taking these pills right away if you have discomfort.
It is also common for patients to feel nauseated for the first one to two days after the procedure.
Your surgeon may prescribe you some nausea pills that can be taken a few hours before you take your pain medications and antibiotics.
Drinking non-acidic drinks like soda and sports drinks can help ease the nausea and prevent you from getting dehydrated.
The first few days after liposuction, your body will be characterized by some swelling and bruising around the treated sites.
These are normal signs of the healing process and they will go away over time.
The swelling may not totally subside for up to two or three months, but you should still be able to see improvements in your size before then.
In order to minimize the swelling and aid the proper healing of your body, your surgeon will give you a compression garment to wear over the treated areas.
This will hold the skin firmly in place.
You will need to wear it full time for the first two days, after which you can take it off to shower.
These garments can be required for day time use for up to six weeks.
If you have tumescent liposuction, a process that freezes the tissues before breaking them up to remove the fat, you will have some fluid drainage from the incision sites for a few days.
It is good for this fluid to get out of your system to minimize bruising and encourage faster healing.
There will be some discomfort in moving around immediately after your surgery, but as soon as you are able you should start to walk around slowly.
This will increase blood and circulation, getting more healing oxygen to the treated areas.
Moving around will also discourage the formation of blood clots.
You should be feeling ready to be back to work and making normal movements within one to two weeks.
While the recovery process can take a few weeks to a few months, liposuction can dramatically improve your appearance and your satisfaction with your body!