Liposuction Recovery

Liposuction surgery is one of the most popular body contouring surgeries in the world. It was first performed in 1974 and it has advanced tremendously over the time. Modern techniques used for liposuction are much better and they involve less pain. Recovery time is also reduced due to improvements in the techniques. It is also one of the safest body contouring surgeries. Liposuction is done for various body parts like tummy, face, thighs, breasts, arms, buttocks etc.

Liposuction is a surgery, in which fat cells are removed through a suction tube. This suction tube is called cannula, which is used to suck the unwanted fat from the body. It is a wand-like instrument. There are various types of liposuction. In tumescent liposuction, the patient needs greater amount of anesthetic solution into the area being treated. Power assisted liposuction (PAL) uses a motor-powered suction tube. In ultrasonic assisted liposuction (UAL), fat is liquefied using sound waves and then removed from the body.

Liposuction is more effective with the areas like tummy, thighs, buttocks etc. It is also useful for women who are considering breast reduction and men who suffer from gynecomastia (male breast development). The success of liposuction also depends upon various factors like weight, age, overall health and skin elasticity. People having diabetes, history of blood clots, heart or artery problems, restricted blood flow, weakened immune system should not undergo this surgery.

After Liposuction
In majority of the cases, the patient resumes his normal life within a week after the surgery with minimal discomfort. However it takes few months to recover fully. The recovery time differs from person to person. It depends upon various factors like the area of the body, which is being treated, health of the patient, diet, the procedure used etc. The recovery time will be longer, if the treated area is large, or a significant amount of fat is removed.

For the first few days, the patient may experience some pain, which usually goes away with medication. Swelling, bruising, and numbness also goes away with time. For the first few days, patients are not allowed to do any exercise other than walking. Spicy food and alcohol should be avoided for 2 days after liposuction.

In spite of the small incision, the surgery affects lots of body tissues. Oxygen carrying blood vessels, connecting fibers joining deep structures to the skin, lymph channels which bring fluid to the spaces, which are too small for blood may get removed, altered or severed during surgery. Therefore the body needs some time to recover depending upon the health of the patient.

Liposuction Recovery
The body starts reconstructing the treated area. During the recovery, blood capillaries are rebuilt, and their network is restored. Blood clots are removed. All the links, that hold the skin tightly in places are reconnected. The skin, which had been stretched, is tightened again. Time required to tighten the skin depends upon the elasticity of the skin. However, the skin usually tightens within 6 months.

After tumescent liposuction, the anesthetic solution used in the surgery drains from the incisions. This drainage helps to recover from liposuction and reduces recovery time. There might be swelling, in the treated area. It is because of the lymph and extra blood trying to find its way to the wound site. Normally, this swelling continues for a month. It sometimes also slows down the recovery process. Accumulated fluids flow in backward direction, which prevent fresh supplies of oxygen and nutrients from reaching the damaged areas. This not only causes the process to slow down, but also causes some cells to die; in some rare and severe cases.

Body immune system may fail to clean the spaces, if seromas (pockets of lymph) or hematomas (pools of blood) occur. It may also result in infections. In some more complicated cases, these hematomas may form clots, or they could break away and block blood flow to other parts of the body resulting in thrombosis. Patients are advised to take shower instead of bath and should not go for swimming to avoid infections. The patients are advised to use compression garments after surgery. Patients are also advised to have a healthy diet, and exercise regularly (after few weeks).

Liposuction Compression Garments
Liposuction compression garments are specially designed garments, which push down on the skin. These elastic compression garment squeezes the body fluids back toward deeper tissues, which results in minimizing the swelling in the treated areas. The skin is tightly held against the body with the help of these garments. Usually, the patient is instructed to wear these garments for 2 to 6 weeks. However this period varies depending upon the type of liposuction procedure and various factors like the area of the body, which is being treated, health of the patient, diet etc.

After complete recovery, patients resume their life with a slender figure and increased self-confidence.