Liposuction Q&A

71%

WORTH IT RATING

487 Reviews

Ask a Question

View Before and Afters

Average Liposuction Cost: $5,150

Learn about Liposuction

2,745 people and 779 doctors are talking about Liposuction

Get Free Email Updates

How Long After Liposuction is Pain and Swelling Normal?

asked 3 years ago by lucyloo in Birmingham, AL
Latest answer by Larry S. Nichter, MD, MS
Question viewed 37,751 times
Tags: pain, recovery, swelling

I had Liposuction done on my upper/lower ab and love handles. I am 5 days post-procedure and I still have a good bit of discomfort and swelling. Is this normal, and how long does it usually take before the swelling goes away?

19 answers to How Long After Liposuction is Pain and Swelling Normal?

How long does swelling last after tummy liposuction?

Most patients who undergo liposuction in Los Angeles describe that their body is still healing 8 weeks after surgery. As a plastic surgeon who specializes in liposuction and body contouring I feel that a person's body continues to change for 4-6 months after surgery. 90% of the abdominal swelling is gone by 8-12 weeks after liposuction, if the patient is active, and performs abdominal massage.

S. Sean Younai, MD
Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon

www.beautifulself.com

Liposuction end results are seen usually by 4-6 months

The discomfort after liposuction usually subsides slowly over 2-3 weeks. Prescription pain pills are taken for the first 1-2 weeks and OTC advil for the 3rd or 4th week if needed. Swelling and skin tightening take 4-6 months to resolve but even at 1 week you should see alittle improvement and at 1 month you should see a big improvement. We start patients exercising and massaging at one week. This helps the swelling go down faster since it stimulates the lymphatic system to allow faster... more

David Hansen, MD
Beverly Hills Dermatologic Surgeon

www.DrDavidHansen.com

Recovery from 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 pain should slowly subside over the first week and get progressively better after that. The second stage takes 2-3 months and will show you... more

Adam Rubinstein, MD
Miami Plastic Surgeon

Maybe normal

I want you to know the symptoms your describing, discomfort and swelling, are totally normal 5 days post-operatively! Post-operatively to help minize swelling we recommend our patients wear a light compression garment for approximately two weeks. This light weight garment aids in minimizing swelling and most patients continue to wear this garment for comfort too. We also teach our patients the importance of lower extremity elevation post-operatively which also aids in minimizing bruising... more

Gregory Turowski, MD, PhD
Chicago Plastic Surgeon

It may take several months for your swelling to completely resolve

Lucy, You are just five days post-procedure, so I am not surprised that you still have swelling and discomfort. Rest assured, however, you will improve quickly. It takes about two weeks for a majority of the bruising and swelling to resolve. However, it takes another two to four months for all of the swelling to completely resolve. You will continue to see positive improvements during this time. I can tell you from first-hand knowledge (I had liposuction myself) that whatever you... more

David Shafer, MD
New York Plastic Surgeon

www.ShaferPlasticSurgery.com

Liposuction Recovery

Liposuction on the body is generally not a very painful procedure after the acute postoperative period during the first 48 hours. The procedure is well tolerated and most patients complain of persistent discomfort that allows them to go to work normally for the first 3 weeks after surgery. Swelling, on the other hand, subsides within the first 3 weeks and there are remnants of swelling, although minimal, for 6 months.

Raffy Karamanoukian, MD
Los Angeles Plastic Surgeon

Liposuction pain subsides long before swelling does

The discomfort of liposuction is a relatively short-lived process from one to four weeks post op in most cases. The majority of the swelling will resolve in four to six weeks, but not completely healed for 6-9 months. Pressure garments for the first month along with lymphatic massage helps tremendously. I will often use an Arnica Montana supplement perioperatively to reduce swelling and bruising in my liposuction cases. Good luck and hang in there, it will get better.

Brian J. Lee, MD
Fort Wayne Plastic Surgeon

Way too early. Give it at least 3 weeks and a minimum of 3 months is even better

This is normal. With any surgery the worst swelling and inflammation occurs for the first 4 days. This is followed by the proliferative phase in which scar tissue is laid down to heal your wounds for up to 6 weeks. Six weeks after surgery, you transition to the maturation phase in which your scars soften and the collagen is organized. This takes a minimum of an additional 6 weeks and can last up to 2 years. Generally, I advise patients to wait 3-4 months before judging their long term... more

Otto Joseph Placik, MD
Chicago Plastic Surgeon

Liposuction is uncomfortable but worth it.

Hi Lucyloo, It is totally normal to have pain and discomfort after liposuction. In most patients the majority of pain lasts about a week. Some patients will have small areas of lingering discomfort or occasionally shooting pain. These will subside and go away. Swelling is normal. You will see a significant decrease in the swelling over the next couple of weeks, with most of the residual swelling being gone by 3 months. Your tissues will continue to... more

Patty K. Young, MD
Dallas Plastic Surgeon

Some swelling and pain is always normal after liposuction

Beware of the surgeon who says that "my patients don't have bruising or swelling." As an old professor used to say "surgery is injury." Liposuction, whether done with tumescent technique, VASER, or laser technique invariably leads to some degree of swelling and pain. Our goal in our Santa Rosa, California plastic surgery office is to minimize bruising, swelling and downtime. We use a very gentle technique, the smallest cannulas that allow the job to be done and we... more

Francisco Canales, MD
Santa Rosa Plastic Surgeon

Be Patient

With liposuction it is normal to have discomfort, brusing and swelling. It is advisable to continue to wear your compression garment given to you when you had surgery, as this will help with the swelling. Most patients will not see the final result to surgery for at least 3 months. Make sure you limit your alcohol and salt intake this will help. So , be patient ,and i'm sure that you will soon be happy and see the results of your efforts.

Linda Swanson, MD
Los Angeles Plastic Surgeon

It is normal to have discomfort for several weeks and swelling for 4 months.

Discomfort and bruising can last one month. It takes several (usually 4) months to see the final result. This is not just swelling going away. What also happens is that some remaining fat cells are damaged after liposuction, and so they gradually atrophy. This gradual atrophy of fat cells of course makes you look progressively smaller. This process usually takes 4 months, but you should see most of the improvement in one month.

George J. Beraka, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Very Variable

The discomfort and pain from liposuction are variable between one patient and the next. Some patients require narcotic pain medications, while others get by with Tylenol or nothing at all. Swelling after liposuction takes a bit longer to resolve. For most patients, the swelling should be 90% resolved within about the first 6 weeks, with the residual swelling gradually subsiding over the first 6 months. Compression garments, along with early massage (we advise patients to use a... more

Athleo Louis Cambre, MD
Los Angeles Plastic Surgeon

Liposuction Recovery & Healing Time

At only five days post-op, the swelling and discomfort you are experiencing are quite normal. The pain will subside for the most part after the first week or so, and the swelling will go down 80% by the time three weeks is up. Continue wearing your compression garment as often as you can to aid healing and control swelling. Pain and discomfort should be markedly less after three weeks, but swelling, lumps, and numbness will still be there. After six months, you can expect the swelling to... more

Larry S. Nichter, MD, MS
Orange County Plastic Surgeon

Swelling Post Liposuction

Swelling post liposuction can last up to 6 weeks. Depending on the "type" of liposuction you have done will determaine how invasive the post operative swelling could be. Continue wearing your compression garments for best results.

Jaime Perez MD
Tampa Plastic Surgeon

www.jaimeperezmd.com

Pain and Swelling After Liposuction

Usually, discomfort after liposuction begins fading after 3-5 days. Swelling may persist for 4-6 weeks, when the initial results become evident. But the final result, however, may take 8-10 months to allow skin tighting over the areas of liposuciton.

John J. Heieck, MD
Omaha Plastic Surgeon

It is normal to experience swelling following any type of liposuction!

I have been in practice for 23 years and have been performing liposuction throughout my career. I now use the VASER, but the basic principles remain the same. I can assure you that it is quite normal to experience swelling following any type of liposuction procedure especially after only five days! To hasten the absorption process, we have our patients wear compression garments and instruct them to perform anti-edema massage. It is very important in the lower extremities to avoid... more

Stephen A. Goldstein, MD
Englewood Plastic Surgeon

Pain Resolves Before Swelling.

Hello, Final results can take a few months to show as swelling comes down gradually. Fortunately, pain is usually quicker to fade. There really isn't much pain for most liposuction patients. That's one of the main reasons lipo is so popular. Best Regards, John Di Saia MD

John P. Di Saia, MD
Orange Plastic Surgeon

It takes some time

Usually the discomfort lasts for about a week. Most people complain that it feels like a tought workout at the gym. Bruising and the majority of swelling disappears in 2-3 weeks, but there may be residual swelling for several months.