Post Op Instructions Following Liposuction
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1. Dressings following Liposuction
GOING HOME: stage one garment and pads on incisions
YOU WILL HAVE DRAINAGE FROM YOUR INCISIONS. It is red and looks like blood, but it isn’t. There may be a LOT of drainage. It is just the fluid we use to soften the fat. Use old sheets or lay down towels that you don’t mind throwing away. This will stop after a few days.
AFTER 36 HOURS: remove garment and all dressings. SHOWER. Replace garment and gauze on incisions if still oozing
AFTER ONE WEEK: should not have to use gauze anymore. Your stitches will be removed on your one week post-op visit. Continue to wear garment up to 23 hours a day (ok to remove to wash it)
AFTER SIX WEEKS: ok to stop wearing garment or wear stage 2 garment
2. Showering
AFTER SURGERY: Shower after 36 hours, then pat dry
ONE MONTH: Only showers for one month. No tub baths, Jacuzzi or swimming for one month.
3. Exercise, activity, and driving
AFTER SURGERY: do not do anything requiring significant activity. Try to rest, but walk around the house at least twice a day and go to the restroom. Do not lift anything heavy. Do not do house work or chores. Do not drive for at least three days or while you are taking pain medication.
ONE WEEK: Ok to walk on the treadmill, elliptical at low speed, or walk outside. You will get tired easily for a month after the surgery!
IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO RESUME EXERCISE AND WEIGHT LOSS after surgery. Many people forget they need to exercise after liposuction, and end up gaining weight, which will ruin your results.
ONE MONTH: Ok to resume regular exercise after a month, but listen to your body. If it hurts, don’t do it! It is ok to resume sexual activity after one month as well.
4. Diet following Liposuction
AFTER SURGERY: eat only bland foods in small quantities (soups, small sandwiches, rice) to prevent nausea. You can resume a normal diet when you feel like you can tolerate it (usually 36 hours)
ALCOHOL: do not drink alcohol for at least two weeks after surgery
5. Swelling from Liposuction
SWELLING: you WILL be swollen, uneven and lumpy after surgery. This will continue for up to 3 months. As time goes on, the swelling will go away. You will see the results improve for up to one year. You WILL weigh more immediately after the surgery than you did before because of the swelling.
BRUSING: In general it goes away after two weeks, but you may have bruising for up to 6 months after surgery depending on how you heal.
LUMPINESS: you may notice some hard lumps under the skin. Self-massage will help this.
CELLULITE: cellulite will not go away with liposuction. To help cellulite and to get smoother results, consider endermologie.
6. Pain from Liposuction
FIRST WEEK: take pain medication. Loosen the garment or take it off if needed. If you must cough or sneeze, hold a pillow tightly against your abdomen. You may have back pain as well, which will resolve with time and muscle relaxant.
ONE WEEK TO ONE MONTH: use over the counter medication and try to get off of the pain medication. It is ok to use Tylenol OTC (over-the-counter). Avoid using aspirin or Motrin (ibuprofen) for one month.
AFTER ONE WEEK: you may notice “electric shocks”, itching, over sensitive skin. This is normal and will take 6 months to go away. Massage will help.
Bloating :You may feel bloated and weight more on the scale. This will resolve in a few weeks and is normal. Liposuction does NOT help you lose weight. It is only for contouring.
Blisters: small fluid filled blisters may occur around the area of tape. This is due to the stretching of the skin. Remove the tape and do not pop the blisters. Leave them alone and they will resolve in a few weeks.
Constipation: this is due to the pain medication. Try to take cut back on the narcotic pain medication and use Tylenol OTC. Also use Colace. If this does not work, you can get some milk of magnesia over the counter, or drink a bottle of magnesium citrate. A Dulcolax suppository may also help. This is all available over the counter.
Stitches: most of your stitches are under the skin and will dissolve on their own. You may have some small sutures at your incision site under the steri-strips, leave these alone. They will be removed at your next appointment.
Sleep: sleep on your back and in a propped up position for at least one week. A recliner will help. You can sleep on your side or on your stomach when it is comfortable. If you are having trouble sleeping, take a sleeping aid (Ambien or Lunesta) before you go to bed, this should help.
7. Incision and scar from Liposuction
To help your incision heal better, after one week start placing Neosporin Scar Therapy on it. Use this until the scar goes away. Neosporin cream or antibiotic cream is not necessary. It will be thick and red for quite some time. It may take a year or longer for the scars to totally fade.
8. Tanning
You should not tan for at least 3 months. Your skin will be very sensitive and will burn easily.
You should not tan your scar for at least a year. If you do go tanning, cover the scar with black tape.
9. Depression
It is very common to become depressed after surgery. If this happens PLEASE LET US KNOW. We can treat you temporarily to get you through this time period. It is also very important to BE PATIENT. Please give yourself at least 6 months to a year to achieve your results.
Lastly, REMEMBER – Dr. Savalia can be reached 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
to answer ANY questions or concerns!
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