subject: How Much Does Liposuction Hurt? [print this page] It's difficult to give an exact answer to questions like, "How much will my liposuction hurt?" There are so many individual characteristics and factors that play a role that it's hard to give a definite answer.
Some liposuction patients claim that they experienced virtually no pain at all, stating that their operations "tickled" and that they only needed to use pain killers for a day or two. Other patients say that they experienced extreme pain both during the operation and afterward, during the recovery period. With an understanding of how difficult it can be to make generalizations of such specific and personal experiences, this article will explain what doctors do to prevent pain during liposuction and will attempt to prospective patients an idea of the sort of pain and discomfort that they can expect.
Liposuction is performed under local anesthesia. Typically this local anesthesia is enough to keep patients from experiencing pain during surgery. Patients are usually kept awake during surgery so that they can have a dialogue with the surgeon, even while surgery is ongoing. This makes it easier to avoid serious complications, which would lead to difficult or painful recovery down the road. If a patient experiences pain during a liposuction, he or she should notify their doctor. It's possible that their doctor can give them more anesthetic to keep them more fully numb.
Liposuction is performed with the use of tiny tubes called cannulas. These tiny, hollow needle-like tubes are inserted through small incisions in the skin. The fat is suctioned out as the surgeon moves it back and forth in the patient's fatty tissue. The use of these small cannulas makes liposuction less invasive, meaning less pain during recovery.
Liposuction patients are typically prescribed pain killers by their doctors, which they can use as needed after surgery. Pain during recovery varies greatly, but is typically manageable with medication. Patients can expect to experience uncomfortable sensations such as tightness, soreness or fatigue. They can also sometimes experience faintness for the first day or two after surgery. Nausea among liposuction patients is also fairly common, whether due to reactions to the anesthesia or to pain medications. This nausea typically disappears relatively quickly.
Most liposuction patients find that they experience the worst pain around the first or second day after their surgery and that pain gets progressively better from there. Bruising is common among liposuction patients, and liposuction bruises, like normal bruises, tend to be tender. However, the bruising will go down in the weeks following surgery.
Finally, keep in mind that there a number of different liposuction techniques to choose from, and some tend to cause less pain then others. Laser liposuction is frequently a good choice for those who are concerned about pain because it is less traumatic to the body then many other forms. It goes by many names-- SmartLipo, ProLipo, CoolLipo, LipoLite, and LipoTherme, just to name a few--but the principles underlying all of these techniques are the same.
If you want to know more about how much a specific type of liposuction would hurt, you can find a number of patients' reviews online. These can be helpful. You may also find it useful to speak with a surgeon in your area. Many surgeons offer free consultations to prospective clients, and they are frequently eager to answer patient questions and concerns.
