How Long Does Liposuction Recovery Take?

Liposuction is a popular body contouring surgery that creates new curves by removing stubborn fat. It is a procedure that we perform frequently in our St. Peters practice, and we love seeing the satisfaction our patients achieve through the minimally-invasive technique. Being that we perform liposuction often, we also know that one of the primary questions patients have about this surgery is how long it takes to recover. We’ll discuss that here. 

What to Expect After Liposuction

Liposuction is a straightforward procedure that incurs few side effects. Most patients need relatively little downtime to recover well from their body contouring surgery. That said, exactly how long it takes to get back to normal activities may vary from one patient to another. Liposuction is tailored to the individual, as well, which could affect overall recovery time. For instance, larger areas may take slightly longer to fully heal than small areas like the arms or the chin. 

Patients who undergo liposuction can expect to receive clear post-surgical care instructions to help them manage minor side effects like swelling, bruising, and soreness. Generally, patients are advised to avoid strenuous activity, excessive heat, and water like swimming pools. After liposuction, it is beneficial to rest as much as the body needs and to drink plenty of water. Staying hydrated helps tissues recover optimally. A compression garment may be applied at the conclusion of surgery. This garment may need to be worn for 4 to 6 weeks. The gentle pressure of the garment helps prevent fluid accumulation and can also help sculpt the body into its new, slimmer shape. While improvement is visible right after surgery, results build over time as swelling subsides. 

Maintaining Liposuction Results

In addition to wanting to know about recovery, liposuction patients also want to know what they can expect in terms of long-lasting results. Several years ago, there was a theory that liposuction patients were likely to gain abdominal fat back some time after their procedure. Liposuction has been performed millions of times around the world. It has a long history of success. While the body ages and tissue can loosen over time, thus potentially affecting shape, the fat that is removed by liposuction is gone forever. Patients who continue to eat healthy foods and live a more active lifestyle generally enjoy a slimmer physique for many years, if not indefinitely.

Liposuction can get your summer off to a beautiful start. Call our St. Peters office at 636-535-2933 to schedule your consultation.