Liposuction Q&A
71%
WORTH IT RATING
"Worth It Rating" shows the % of consumer reviewers
that stated the procedure was "Worth It" or not.
See more RealSelf Worth It Ratings
or Add Your Review
View Before and Afters
Average Liposuction Cost: $5,150
Learn about Liposuction
2,756 people and 780 doctors are talking about Liposuction
Get Free Email Updates
Liposuction Swelling - How Long Until It Goes Down?
asked 3 years ago by Melsaez in NY
Latest answer by D. Scott Karempelis, MD
Question viewed 93,903 times
Tags: saddle bags, recovery, side effects, swelling
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?
31 answers to Liposuction Swelling - How Long Until It Goes Down?
+2
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.
+2
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.
+3
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.
+2
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.
+2
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.
+2
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
Columbus Plastic Surgeon
+2
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!
+2
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
San Francisco Dermatologic Surgeon
+2
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
Houston Plastic Surgeon
+2
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
Atlanta Plastic Surgeon
+2
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
+2
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
Fairfax Plastic Surgeon
+2
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
Chicago Plastic Surgeon
+2
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
+2
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
Fairfield Plastic Surgeon
+1
Swelling After Liposuction
If you have questions or difficulty after surgery, it’s important to schedule an appointment with the surgeon who performed the liposuction procedure. Many patients notice swelling and lumps after liposuction as the body adjusts and heals. Swelling can persist for up to 12 weeks for some patients based on the liposuction technique used, post-operative care, and other factors. Most doctors recommend patients wear post-surgical compression garments to help the body re-shape and reduce...
more
D. Scott Karempelis, MD
Atlanta Dermatologic Surgeon
Atlanta Dermatologic Surgeon
+1
Swelling following liposuctioning
Swelling after liposuctioning is very common and will usually subside after several months. The fluid accumulated is usually called serous fluid, not blood. Continue with mild compression to the areas treated with your garment for several weeks, and you may even try gentle massaging in an effort to break up some of these fluid accumulations. In the future, limited ultrasound treatments may be tried for areas that stubbornly don't change.
Good...
more
+1
Liposuction swelling-how long until it goes down
Minimal to moderate and symmetrical swelling after liposuction is not uncommon and should go down rather rappidly. Some dgrees of numbness is not unusual and will go away in less than two months. If liposuction is done with vaser ( liposelection) the recovery is a lot faster. If you are feeling some lumpiness or fluid accomulation they need to be addressed by agressive massage therapy or aspiration. Please consult with your surgeon.
+1
Liposuction swelling
Liposuction takes about 6 months to heal. Subtle improvement continues for another year.
numbness? Yes, about 6 months
lumpiness? Yes, about 6 months
Why? the body heals with protein. It makes too much at first. It slowly removes what you don't need. That takes time.
You feel something that moves in the saddlebag area? That's unusual. It may be fluid or loose skin. Your surgeon should be able to tell you by examining you.
Good luck...
more
+1
Healing after Liposuction
At six weeks post-op, some swelling and lumpiness are to be expected, though you are no doubt seeing an improvement in your shape. The swelling will fully subside 6 months to a year after surgery, as will the lumps. You can help the lumps resolve by gently massaging them. Numbness will persist a little while longer, but should go away in the same time frame as the lumps and swelling. Skin shrinkage takes the longest to occur.
+1
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.
+1
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
+1
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
+1
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
Miami Plastic Surgeon
+1
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
Westchester Plastic Surgeon
+1
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
Austin Plastic Surgeon
+1
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
Denver Plastic Surgeon
+1
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
+1
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.
Raffy Karamanoukian, MD
Los Angeles Plastic Surgeon
Los Angeles Plastic Surgeon
+1
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
Seattle Plastic Surgeon
Doctors Nearby
David Hansen, MD
2 recommendations
and
1,098 answers
View Website
Dev Wali, MD
60 answers
View Website
S. Sean Younai, MD
10 recommendations
and
311 answers
View Website
RealSelf Sponsors
ADVERTISEMENT