Liposuction: Forum
Post to Forum

Liposuction swelling - how is your recovery?

By Tom at RealSelf on 29 Jan 2010

What are you doing to reduce swelling after liposuction?

View 33 doctor answers to Liposuction Swelling - How Long Until It Goes Down?

Comments (217)

Sort by

How is your recovery going. Are you active currently. Im sure that you were relieved when able to sit comfortably on your thighs.
I'm day 16 after inner/outer thighs and inner knees. Days 5-10, I had AWFUL swelling above the back of my left knee. Made it really challenging to resume light activities. Sitting at work really exasperated it. The swelling is much better now and most bruising is gone. I have some hard lumps that i massage daily (this REALLY helps!) and some numbness and tingling/burning (mostly on inner thigh area). I can kneel for brief periods of time and go up and down stairs with a little stiffness. Have used Arnica orally and topically since 3 days before surgery. Am still in the stage 1 compression garment (which is falling apart and too big for me) while I wait for the stage 2 garment to arrive in the mail. I tried wearing compression running pants for a day, but after sitting through breakfast on a wooden bench, my legs started to swell and the stage 1 garment was quickly put on. This has been a much slower process than I had anticipated. I'm relatively fit (can easily run a 5k and do 20+ burpees on demand) and am a fast healer with, what is normally, a high pain tolerance. But, heck if the past 2+ weeks haven't sucked. I don't do well feeling like an invalid. All that being said, I can see a very positive change in silhouette already. Saddlebags and inner thigh fat deposits i inherited from my maternal grandmother and have had since age 12 are gone. I am excited for the rest of the swelling to go down, as it can only get better from here on out :)
5 weeks PO TT and Flank Lipo
Andrea, the first few weeks can be really tough. If you just accept it as part of the long process, it will help. I live in a very rural area and didn't have benefit of massages or other help, and I really struggled with a balance of pain, meds, nausea and swelling. I'm ten months out and very glad I did it. I have an overgrowth disorder that causes my fat to keep growing on one side of my body, so I have to do this every two years or so. Each time is worse because of the scar tissue. Yet, it is what I need to do to stay in balance and not throw off my back too much. I have some continued numbness in a few areas that have had multiple surgeries. For most people, that numbness will fade and become a thing of the past. Keep drinking lots of water, wearing your compression garment, moving slowly, eating healthy and pampering yourself with sleep and good care. Take care.
Thank you! I can't believe you have to go through this so often. You are awesome. Yeah, the pain meds really threw me off for a bit. I am eating good and drinking lots of water. Sleeping is difficult for me because I already have difficulty sleeping. Even before the surgery, it was rare that I slept through the night. On average I wake up about 3-4 times a night. I have tried not drinking anything past 8:00, etc. I don't really like sleeping pills and think I am going to try melatonin. I'm glad to hear you are doing well at ten months and will keep you in mind when I need a positive boost. Take care. :)
Andrea, I've been totally pain free at least six months if that helps. Take care!
I am Day 7 and looking for the light at the end of the tunnel. I had lower abs, flanks (majority of lipo here), inner and outer thighs. Finally starting to get excited to see the final results but feel like they are so far away. The swelling is so strange because I have a lot of loss of sensation. So when I try to feel how swollen I am with my hands it feels weird. There is a constant pins and needles sensation around the saddlebag are that drives me nuts. My inner thighs are sore and huge. Oddly enough the lower abdomen is not so bad. The first couple of days it felt like I was ripping the skin off my abs anytime I moved but now it's fine and there is hardly and swelling. It is FLAT! The thing that is the most surprising for me is my emotions. I feel like i have extreme PMS. I read that for women we store estrogen in our fat and when it is removed can upset our hormonal balance. My poor boyfriend...Does anyone know when you can sleep on your tummy? Can anyone farther along offer words of encouragement about the weeks ahead? I am excited about the final result, just a little impatient I guess. Hehe...
Just stay calm and enjoy this recovery. You will get a little better everyday. The main thing I can recommend is to wear your compressin garment at all times. It is crucial for RESULTS!!!!! Also drink plenty of water,not just fluids, I mean WATER. I drink a gallon a day anyway,but just keep yourself hydrated with water. I felt super swollen for about a month and then I realized the lipo was the best thing I've ever done for myself. I was OT over weight just had fat deposited in my tummy I couldn't get rid of. My stomach is flat and I have no rolls. I'm lovin every second of pain and swelling I had to encounter,. Good luck to you. It is worth it I promise. If you don't eat healthy noes the time to start. Let me recommend the Eat Clean book by "Tosca Reno". You can get it on amazon or any ook store. It is amazing.
Thanks for the info and encouragement. I'm glad to hear you are happy one month out. I do eat well but have heard the first few months post lipo are really important regarding what you eat. I will check out the book. Thanks!
Hi just wondering how is your pos goin? I had my lipo done last Tuesday and its crazy coz I would wake up with a flat tommy but end of the night I would look like a balloon lol :) so will I get better? If u don't mind me asking what was your weight before? Because I'm a bit of over as we'll and since Tuesday I have been eating vegetables and meat nothing else so I hope I will see the results lol....thanks x
Hi! Yes, it does get better! It took about two to three weeks to really have the swelling go down enough to see good results. I am just past two months now and I still get swollen a little on my flanks at night if I did a lot during the day. I run and do yoga every day and try to eat as little sodium as possible and plenty of protein. Eating good is very important. I notice that if I don't eat well, I get swelling in my tummy. When I eat we'll, the results are amazing! I was 121 before the procedure and still weight the same but my clothes fit soooooo much better now and I can't wait for my six month mark. Be patient, eat right, and exercise. It really just takes time but you will love it if you take care of yourself. It really does take as long as the doctors say to see the true results. Don't get discouraged by the swelling. Your body went through a major change and is adjusting. Totally normal. Good luck!,,
Thanks for your reply :) I know my flanks it's the worst I'm on 6th day after the op and I feel amazing every morning lol but when I go to bed night time it's just incredible the size of it lol Do you take anything for swelling ? Thanks x
I'm the same I'm now on day 10 , I played 18 holes of golf yesterday but I think that was too much.I know how you feel it's great in the morning but it seems you go back to square one in the evening.Iv booked in for a lymphatic massage on Wednesday hoping that will help.will let you know
I do have a ? How long do we have to wear these horrible body suits its driving me crazy and has anyone tried anything other than the surgical ones
Baby blue, I used a "Zoot" full compression bicycle capri (below the knee) as my compression garment when my regular one was too big. Depending on the areas you had done, that might be an option. Hard to get on and off, but it was way more comfortable than a regular compression garment. It was in the summer, and I wore it with a long T-shirt like leggings. There are lots of brands of garments out there on the internet, so you might also check them out. On day 10, I was still slowing moving back and forth between the bed and the chair on heavy narcotics, but my situation was much different than yours. Glad you are doing so well you can play golf this early!
Thanks for that reply its made me feel better.I am alot heavier than you 170 and I'm 61 years old so I know my age has a lot to do with the recovery time.but I played golf yesterday and did ok just got really swollen again in the evening but it is only day 10 but you have been very encouraging Thankyou ps I do have a great waistline now
Great yeah please let me know:) x
How long have u wore urs for? Mine it's pretty comfortable ....the only thing that drive me mad is when I need to use the toilet lol
Bromelain is what my doctor had me take You can find it at health food stores or online. Also, pineapple juice is really good for swelling.
I wore my compression garment from the doctor for two weeks, then he had me just wear spanks. (the highest level ones). I found this to be the best : http://www.spanx.com/product/index.jsp?productId=4058277&cp=2992553.10889641&parentPage=family The In-Power Line Super HIgher Power
Ugh, yeah, the toilet is the worst. I no longer wear my garment and sometimes I realize I am holding it because I don't want to use the toilet then I realized I don't have a garment on anymore and laugh because it is so easy now. It's funny what you take for granted.
This really helped by swelling as well.
Iv had mine on for 10 days only taking it off in the morning so I can wash it while I shower.and yes the toilet is driving me bloody mad.I feel like I'm wearing a wet suit.I went and bought some spanks today hoping that might be better to sleep in.Im assuming everyone else sleeps in theres
Today had another massage. Plus she gave me Lipo cream with all kinds of oil including arnica and V-K which will help a lot in healing. You use it 2x a day. I actually am feeling a bit better. I walked slowly through home depot for about an hour...yikes.. We have to fly home on Sunday and I am freaked about sitting in a plane for 6 hours. I will be walking the aisles a lot. Swelling am freaking about !
Update went for my 1 week Dr appt. Yikes...Great nice professional Dr ina gorgeous cancun hospital. He has his own office and nurse. He told me I had a small seroma on the right side and took out 2 syringes of liquid. 40CC. The third one I screamed. All the stitches out. He told me to wear my compression garment 24/7 for 1 month. Absolutely. Then the best to have ultra sound massage 10 but I can only fit in 2 before we leave. Had to adjust my meds for the 3rd time...ugh..I dont do well on meds. At the spa I strip down and the poor little Mexican girl. Sooo gently she massaged my whole body even the Va jay jay..ultrasound and gel... It was so hard to get the compression garment back on and I laid in the car and slept all the way to Tulum.Today I feel a bit better but the pain meds he gave I had nightmares. So I might just try Advil now but lots of meds for swelling and inflammation. This is a huge test of my endurace.

Welcome Back

Sign in with Facebook

Your information remains private and will not be posted without your permission.

Forgot your password?

Don't have an account? Create one now.

Join RealSelf

Join with Facebook

Your information remains private and will not be posted without your permission.

Please enter a valid email address
 Did you mean ?

By creating an account, you are indicating that you have read and accept the RealSelf Terms of Use.

Already a member? Sign In.

Retrieve your password

Enter your username or email address and we will send you a link to login.

Check your email

Check your email. We've sent you a link to reset your password.

Ok