Liposuction is a commonly performed procedure nowadays, but the results don’t occur immediately. It can take up to a few days or weeks for the areas treated with liposuction to show the final results. Knowing exactly what you can expect after the procedure is performed can help you in making an informed decision and also lowering the post-operative stress.
After liposuction is performed, the patient will need to wear special clothing called compression garments, which keep the area treated compressed and tight while in recovery. Most patients will have to wear these clothes for several weeks after liposuction. Wearing the girdle is an important step of the liposuction intervention and should not be taken lightly.
A certain level of swelling, bruising, pain and discomfort can be experienced by the patient during the initial phase of recovery after liposuction. These are just normal side effects and there is nothing to be worried about. However, if the pain is intense or the swelling doesn’t subside within the first weeks from the procedure, the plastic surgeon should be notified as a complication might have occurred.
The patient is advised to return to exercising gradually and only after the body has fully healed after the procedure, typically about 3 weeks after surgery.
The surgical wounds after liposuction are quite small, and they don’t require special attention. However, it is essential to maintain proper hygiene to prevent infections from occurring.
Liposuction is a procedure with a high patient satisfaction rate. In the case of a small area treated with liposuction, the results can be visible after just one or two weeks. If an extended area or multiple zones were targeted with the procedure, it might take up to one or two months for the new contour of the body to be fully visible.