It is strongly advised that you give up smoking for a reasonable period before and after surgery because it affects the blood vessels and can cause complications that delay your recovery. The treated area will also be red and raised immediately after surgery. However, prolonged swelling and redness -- especially combined with pain -- could be a sign of infection. If any of these symptoms are extreme or persist for a long period after surgery, contact your doctor.Liposuction is a procedure that will change your life for good, but you need to be aware of some of the side-effects of this surgery before you opt for it. This is crucial before making up your mind that liposuction will solve all your problems and enable you to embark on the new life that you are looking for.
There are several specific techniques that are used to avoid these deformities, but in general, overly aggressive liposuction (in particular the use of SmartLipo by non-plastic surgeons) can yield significant depressions that can be quite disfiguring. In some cases, depressions from liposuction can be treated with fat grafting. With careful planning, the love handles (flanks) and lower abdomen can be treated with standard liposuction to yield exceptional results. It IS possible to have a smooth liposuction result!
Consult your individual physician to understand better what to expect for a recovery after liposuction in your specific case, and be sure to follow their instructions carefully. After liposuction, recovery is commonly described by many patients as involving a very, sore feeling similar to that created from a highly strenuous workout or even being involved in a car accident.
In addition, the medication prescribed to you will most likely also contain an anti-inflammatory to reduce swelling. Ask your doctor if you may also take a dose of over-the-counter headache medicine such as Advil every 4 hours. In most cases, your doctor will give you the go-ahead, and this will also help reduce swelling. Consider visiting a massage therapist. Certain massage therapists specialize in lymphatic drainage massage therapy. This speeds up the process of draining lymphatic fluids from the bruising that occurs during the healing process, which in turn greatly reduces swelling.
During the days and weeks following liposuction, the degree of soreness and swelling is common from this procedure employed. Soreness is usually the most intense 2 to 4 days after liposuction and then decreases steadily. The tenderness and soreness typically is quite bothersome for up to 4 weeks, but gradually subsides over the following next 4 to 8 weeks.
Beyond the immediate results, most people considering the procedure often worry about its longevity. And that’s why one of the most frequently asked questions about liposuction is “Can fat return after the procedure? The short answer is: No, the removed fat does not return after the procedure. Now here’s the long answer: Liposuction is effective at removing stubborn pockets of fat in several areas of the body.
As with any surgical incision, your skin is likely to scar after healing. Liposuction scars are typically small, but individual results vary. People with darker skin types and more naturally-occurring melanin in the skin are more prone to darker scars, or hyper-pigmentation. Excess friction from the cannula’s movement during the liposuction process can cause the remaining fatty tissue beneath the incision area to become fibrous and interwoven with scar tissue under the skin as it heals. Repeated liposuction procedures in the same area are also known to create friction-based scar tissue.
This patient presented with excess fat around her mid section. She had larger flanks or "love handles". This may make it difficult for patients to fit clothes comfortably. Notice the dramatic liposuction before and after improvement in the patients shape. She now has a smooth curve to her hips which is now more in proportion to the rest of her figure.
