Liposuction is a popular cosmetic procedure where small incisions are made in order to rid the body of unwanted fat. With any procedure, there are specific instructions intended to provide a successful surgery as well as recovery. The physician will go over all the necessary pre-and-post-care instructions before the surgery. After the procedure, your doctor should provide you with a set of written instructions on how to properly care for your incisions. It is vital to follow these instructions to avoid getting an infection and/or other serious complications.
You will not be permitted to drive or operate any hazardous machinery for 18 hours after surgery. Therefore, it is strongly recommended that someone is available to drive you home after the procedure. It is also advisable that a responsible person stays with you during the first day. If you received liposuction using only local anesthetic, you may instantly resume a normal diet. If your doctor used other methods of anesthesia, he or she will provide you with diet instructions. Be sure to drink plenty of liquids to evade becoming dehydrated and avoid drinking any alcohol for at least 48 hours after surgery. You will be given a prescription for antibiotics and you should always take medication as prescribed.
Plenty of rest is in store for a person who has had liposuction for the first 2-4 days. Therefore, do not expect to resume normal activities within the first few days. Your body will be sore and feel easily fatigued. You may also experience nausea or vomiting due to antibiotics, anesthesia or lorazepam. The physician will have dressed your incision sites with HK Post-Op Garments which are specifically designed for tumescent liposuction. If a patient has had liposuction on the thighs or hips, two HK Over-All garments are used. If a person has had liposuction on the waist, abdomen, flanks, breasts or back, the doctor will use a single HK Torso garment and an adjustable elastic binder. These garments and super absorbent pads and are intended to provide firm compression in order to allow maximum drainage of the blood-tinged anesthetic solution and should be worn day and night. A patient should only remove the garments the day after the surgery in order to shower and wash the garments. It is recommended to sit or lay on an absorbent towel for the first 36 hours. Although the pads are super absorbent, leaks can occur. The bandages will be worn for 3-6 days or until 24 hours after the body has completely stopped secreting the blood-tinged solution.
Do not be alarmed if your temperature elevates a bit due to the trauma of surgery. Swelling, inflammation, bruising and soreness are expected after liposuction. Your doctor will recommend extra-strength Tylenol every 4 hours during the first 48 hours. Do not take ibuprofen, aspirin or other NSAIDS for 3 days after the surgery as these medications can prolong bleeding and cause other complications.
The morning after surgery, you might feel light headed after your first urination. If this occurs, simply sit down until the feeling passes. Furthermore, a person may also feel dizzy or even faint the first time they remove the compression bandage for showering because the legs rapidly decompress upon removal of the bandages. To avoid this, carefully remove the first bandage and sit for about 10 minutes prior to removing the other. For the first 7 days after surgery, you will only be allowed to shower. Do not soak in a bath, get in a hot tub or swim in a pool or the ocean. Keep the area clean! Whenever washing the incision site, be sure to wash your hands first and then gently wash the area with soap and water. Do not rub the area dry. Simply pat it dry with a clean towel and then re-dress it.
The day after surgery, you may resume light to moderate physical activities and will now be permitted to drive. If you work at a desk job, you might be able to resume work a day or two after surgery. Two to four days after liposuction, you may carefully resume exercise and vigorous physical activity. It is recommended to start with only 25% of your normal physical activity and increase it a little each day.
As part of the healing process, itching may occur several days after the surgery. Benadryl can be taken to help ease these symptoms. You may also use an oatmeal soap to cleanse the area. After the incisions have healed and your doctor has given you permission to soak in a bath, you can prepare an oatmeal bath.