subject: How Can I Ensure The Best Possible Recovery After Liposuction? [print this page] The popularity of liposuction has been increasing in the United States, especially in high fashion areas like California or New York. With its increase in popularity, new and significantly safer techniques have been developed. Of course, even with safer techniques, post-op risk still exists and it is important to know about tips to help achieve your best recovery.
Today, several liposuction techniques exist, but generally the procedure is performed by removing fat using a cannula (a small hollow tube) and an aspirator (a suction device). Common side effects of this procedure include bruising, swelling, scars, pain, numbness, and limited mobility. Usually patients can go back to day-to-day activities within two days to two weeks. However, final results of lipoplasty are generally not evident until a passing period of one to six months.
If considering liposuction you decide to do it, choose your surgeon carefully. After you have chosen a surgeon, it is of utmost importance that you counsel with your physician and your surgeon before and after having the procedure to ensure the best recovery.
The greatest risks of lipoplasty are connected to surgeons who are too excessive in their surgery. Be careful in the amount of fat you choose to remove for one day. Strong communication between you and your surgeon about a safe amount of fat removal is crucial.
Make sure that your surgeon uses smaller lipoplasty rods (3-4mm). Undesirable irregularities can be caused by the use of larger rods (6-8mm), which might be used because they quicken the surgery time.
All lipoplasty patients encounter bruising, but the amount of bruising can be reduced depending on the amount of epinephrine (adrenaline) in the tumescent fluid that is injected. A higher amount of adrenaline should reduce bleeding and make your final result more even and regular in appearance. Talk to your surgeon and your physician about which amount of epinephrine is right for you.
After surgery, many patients choose to minimize swelling by constantly icing the area the first few days. Icing is done by applying a cold compress to the swollen area (not directly onto skin, but preferably surrounded by a thin cloth) for 20 minutes on, followed by 40 minutes off. You can choose to use a specialized cold compress, frozen peas, or ice water soaked gauze pads.
Another way to minimize swelling is by wearing a medical compression garment for up to eight weeks (consult your physician and your surgeon). This garment can also speed up the healing process, improve your circulation, and supply the surgical areas with support.
Subsequent lipoplasty, the removed fat cells are gone for good. Even though those fat cells are gone, it is extremely important that you keep up good, strong habits of diet and exercise. If diet and exercise continue to be ignored, surrounding fat cells could expand, thus causing irregularities under the skin.
