70%

435 reviews

Worth It Rating Our index shows the percentage of community members saying this was "Worth it". See cosmetic treatment rankings

Liposuction Cost ≈ $5,800 average cost

Write a review | Ask a Question

Liposuction Swelling - How Long Until It Goes Down?

I had my saddlebags removed six weeks ago and one of them looks lumpy and looks like if I have something in there that moves. I also had liposuction above my butt, I'm still numb and I now I have a lump. Will this go away? How long does it take for swelling to go away?

Asked 43 months ago by Melsaez in NY

Tags:

Swelling after liposuction varies depending on the location, compression garment use, and massaging

Swelling after liposuction usually takes 6-12 weeks to subside, but this can vary much depending on the location of liposuction, if patient wears compression garment, and if they massage. usually the lower extremity liposuction has the longest time for the resolution of swelling. massaging the areas of liposuction greatly facilities healing and helps to smoothen the areas.

Doctor's Website

S. Sean Younai, MD

Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon

ASPS

The majority of swelling from liposuction goes away in 3-4 months

Liposuction swelling occurs during the first 3-4 days after the procedure and starts to go away after 1 week. At a month you should see a noticeable difference and the majority of swelling resolves in 3-4 months with some lingering up to 6 months.

Doctor's Website

David Hansen, MD

Beverly Hills Dermatologic Surgeon

Duration and Factors

Usually at 6 weeks, most of the swelling is gone but it can persist for up to 6 months. The duration depends on: • How aggressive the fat extraction was. • Laser or ultrasonic used. • Location of removal. • Amount of fat removed. • Whether the surgery was a primary or secondary procedure. Other factors include compliance of the compression garment and how well it fits, diet habits, and activity.

Sonia Badreshia-Bansal, MD

San Francisco Dermatologic Surgeon

Recovery following liposuction

Recovery following liposuction takes time and patients. Swelling and some bruising is normal following liposuction. The swelling and bruising should improve over the first few weeks. It generally takes 2-3 weeks to see your weight start to drop. The amount of weight you loose should be approximately equal to the amount of fat removed during the procedure. At 6 weeks post-op you should see a nice improvement in your shape. It is normal at this point to feel some firmness... more

Andrew Lyos, MD

Houston Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Most liposuction swelling is gone in the first 6 weeks

But there is still remodeling that takes place for months after that, so your true final result is really about 6 months after surgery. Compression and massage help the process. Your reference to "lumps" and "something that moves", though, is concerning. See your surgeon, as you may have a seroma (the "something that moves")--a fluid collection that needs to be drained. If that's not the case, at least your surgeon can take a... more

Carmen Kavali, MD

Atlanta Plastic Surgeon

ASPS

Swelling after Liposuction

After liposuction, major swelling may last for a month or two. The minor swelling can linger for several months after that. The skin contraction and shrinkage takes approximately 6-9 months to occur, meaning you may not see your final result/outcome for 6 months to one year after your surgery. The compression garment is to be worn for the first 4-6 weeks to assist in the skin contraction such that an even contour is achieved. If you notice some hard or firm areas a few weeks after surgery,... more

William Bruno, MD

Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Liposuction swelling for up to 6 months

Liposuction is a very traumatic procedure for the tissues. The lymphatic tissues, or the tiny vessels that remove fluid from the tissues, are significantly damaged during liposuction. It is this reason that the swelling lasts so long. These tiny vessels need to reestablish themselves to remove this fluid. This can take up to 6 months. However, significantly noticeable contour irregularities that need to be addressed will be visible sooner.

Christopher L. Hess, MD

Fairfax Plastic Surgeon

ASPS

Swelling after Liposuction should resolve soon

It has been only six weeks since your procedure and the feeling of discomfort and swelling is quite normal at this stage of recovery. Pain should subside in a few more weeks. You need to remember, every patient has its own pace of healing and in some cases, the swelling can take up to six months to completely disappear. Most patients can resume daily activities within a week, but you should avoid strenuous exercise for a month. You might also consider some Velasmooth treatment once you feel... more

Gregory Turowski, MD, PhD

Chicago Plastic Surgeon

ASPS

It takes at least 6 months to see the final result after liposuction

Numbness, bumpiness and swelling are common and normal after liposuction. Time, regular exercise, and gentle massage generally resolves these issues. Most patients will see 80% of their result at 1 month after surgery but the final result will not be seen until after all swelling resolves and the tissues have had a chance to shrink. This is usually 4 to 6 months postop.

Richard P. Rand, MD, FACS

Seattle Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Swelling after liposuction sometimes takes a long time...

Swelling after liposuction sometimes takes a long time to resolve. Your contour will continue to change and improve over the course of a few months, and you might now achieve your final result until a year after surgery. Irregularities after liposuction usually flatten out, but occasionally these persistent irregularities are related to excessive removal of superficial fat, leaving a 'dent'. These can be troublesome, and some part of the body of susceptible to these contour... more

Scott Sattler, MD

Bellevue Plastic Surgeon

ASPS

Areas that undergo liposuction often take up to 6 months...

Areas that undergo liposuction often take up to 6 months for the edema (swelling) to dissipate. The rate of dissipation of the swelling is often dependent on many factors such as technique used. The use of ultrasonic liposuction is thought by some to have a more rapid resolution of swelling. The use of tumescent techniques may affect the amount of swelling in the tissues. These techniques involve injecting large amounts of dilute lidocaine into the fat prior to suction. In addition, hormonal... more

Wilfred Brown, MD

Fairfield Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS

Swelling after liposcution

At this point your swelling is at about 50% reduction and small lumps are common. Light massage will help the selling and lump go away but your final result will likely not be seen for another 4-5 months. It will likely all go away with a little more time, as will the numbness.

Doctor's Website

Julio Garcia, MD

Las Vegas Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Liposuction results

It is very common to have swelling and even some bumpiness during the recovery period after liposuction. I tell my patients that most of the swelling resolves within the first month after the procedure - frequently much sooner. You should be back to normal activity and overall looking good around this time. Nonetheless the final result often takes 6 months or even longer, as the swelling, minor bumpiness, and skin tightening take some time.

Doctor's Website

John K. Wakelin III, MD

Columbus Plastic Surgeon

ASPS

Liposuction results

I advise my patients to not look in the mirror for 4 months following liposuction. Final results typically take about 6 months. Contact your board certified plastic surgeon should you have specific concerns. Best of luck!

Christine Sullivan, MD

Columbus Plastic Surgeon

ASPS

Liposuction takes 6 months to achieve final results

I would be patient if its only been 6 weeks. Make sure you are still using some compression garments at night, sometimes with foam compression over the area, and continue to do frequent, vigorous massages. At 3 months you will be approximately 70% of your final results, at 4 months about 80% and final results at 6 months. Be patient!

Doctor's Website

James F. Boynton, MD

Houston Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Swelling after liposuction

Recovery times vary for each patient. I usually tell my patients swelling lasts for about 3 months. Remember the use of compression garments is very important. Consult with your plastic surgeon if you have any further concerns.

Doctor's Website

Jaime Perez MD

Tampa Plastic Surgeon

ASPS

Swelling after liposuction

Melsaez, Liposuction swelling can persist for some time but if you have concerns you can always ask your surgeon. The description of a lump and something moving is unusual. You may have a fluid collection that needs to be drained. Some irregularity after liposuction is normal and should be massaged, but significant lumpiness may mean that the fat was removed in an uneven fashion. It is best to be properly examined by your surgeon. Sincerely, Martin... more

Martin Jugenburg, MD

Toronto Plastic Surgeon

ASPS

Swelling after Liposuction

There is some degree of swelling after liposuction. 75-80% of the swelling is resolved and absorbed within the first 4-6 weeks. There will be an additional 20% of swelling that will take time to be resolved. Favorable contraction of tissues and skin take up to a year after surgery. However, you can accelerate your healing and improve your results by wearing tight fitting garments during the first 3 months after surgery. Hope this was helpful. Dr. Sajjadian more

Doctor's Website

Ali Sajjadian, MD

Orange County Plastic Surgeon

ASPS

Swelling after liposuction

Recovery from liposuction takes time. Its easy to get discouraged but if you stay patient you should enjoy very nice results in time. i tell my patients that there is a three stage healing process. The first stage takes 2-3 weeks. During the first 2-3 weeks the initial swelling is resolving and you can get a general sense for your new shape. The second stage takes 2-3 months and will show you the details of your new shape as the swelling subsides and your tissue softens. The final... more

Adam Rubinstein, MD

Miami Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Swelling after liposuction

I tell my patient that 75% of the swelling after liposuction will be gone in 3 weeks. The remaining 25% will take another 3 months. Even after all the swelling is gone is still may be up to six months before you see your final results while your body heals and remodels its distribution of fat.

Adam Hamawy, MD

Westchester Plastic Surgeon

ASPS

Tissue massage is critical after Liposuction is performed

It is important to communicate to the prospective patient what the surgical after-care period will involves, and its typical duration. This is particularily importantant after lower extremity area liposuction. It can takes months of regular/daily massaging before the final result can be fully appreciated. In some cases, we also recommend edermologie to the area to hasten the resolution of swelling and softening of the tissue. I hope this helps.

S.Pasquale Maggi, MD

Austin Plastic Surgeon

Swelling can take up to full six months, depending on the area

Improvement following liposuction can be apparent as early as a week or two. The amount of area and the complexity of the procedure, including the amount of volume removed, will often affect the length of time to see the final result. Small areas of contouring may show good results in 4-6 weeks, whereas, larger areas such as a full torso or circumferential thighs often take a full 6 months to see the final results, although about 90% of the improvement is seen at 6-12 weeks. Tightness often... more

David R. Stephens, MD

Seattle Plastic Surgeon

ASPS

After liposuction it can take several weeks to months...

After liposuction it can take several weeks to months for the swelling to go down, depending on how far away from the center of the trunk it is performed. Long term use of compression garments can be helpful in this regard. If you feel that something is moving, you may have what is known as a seroma - a post-operative fluid collection that often needs to be drained. Most lumpy, bumpy or hard areas will soften with time as the inflammation associated with surgical injury goes away. In... more

Manish H. Shah, MD

Denver Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Lumpiness after liposuction is not uncommon. Sometimes...

Lumpiness after liposuction is not uncommon. Sometimes this is due to differential swelling. If that is the case, massage can help to improve the area. On the other hand, if there is some asymmetry from the procedure, then the lumpiness may be from some areas not being treated adequately. Sometimes revisions are necessary. In terms of the numbness, again, this is very common after liposuction. This is usually from the swelling and usually improves over time. The majority of swelling... more

Steven Wallach, MD

Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Swelling after liposuction

Swelling after liposuction may take several months to subside. In general, I advise my patients to begin endermologie treatment at an early stage of their recovery and warn them about the use of compression garments. Arnica and Bromelain supplements such as BruisePak also work to ameliorate swelling.