Is There Any Downtime Associated with Liposuction?


If you’re considering undergoing a liposuction procedure, you may be curious as to how much time you should take off after the operation.  While you understand there’s a recovery process involved, you’re not exactly sure what you should devote to downtime.  Will you be recovering from liposuction for days?  Weeks?  Months?

As it turns out, the downtime associated with liposuction varies depending on what’s being treated, as well as the surgical technique that the plastic surgeon decides to use.  Here are the factors that can influence how much time you spend in recovery:

  • Liposuction Las CrucesArea Being Treated: As a rule of thumb, the smaller the treatment area, the less time you’ll spend recovering after your liposuction procedure.  Small areas include underneath the chin, around the armpits, and other localized fat pockets.  Larger treatment areas – like the abdomen and flanks – will involve a longer recovery process, as more fat is being broken up and drained from this area.
  • Technique Used: Traditional liposuction procedures involve using a small cannula to break up pockets of fat, especially in larger treatment areas.  This surgical technique involves more recovery time, as the odds of bruising and swelling are much greater.  However, newer technologies use laser-assisted cannulas to melt away fat, rather than breaking it up manually.  Other liposuction techniques use a tumescent solution to minimize the amount of swelling and bruising that’s caused by the procedure.  You should talk to your plastic surgeon about which surgical technique is right for your needs.

In general, you can expect to spend up to six weeks recovering from liposuction if the procedure was performed on larger areas.  Smaller areas may only require a couple of weeks of recovery.  Your first week will involve limited activity and plenty of rest; you can start to reintroduce certain activities to your lifestyle based on the advice of your plastic surgeon.

Take the Next Step

To learn more about downtime associated with liposuction, schedule a consultation at El Paso Plastic Surgery in El Paso, Texas.  You’ll learn about different liposuction procedures, including what you can expect in terms of recovery. Call 915-351-1116 today!


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