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Confused About Liposuction After Care

I had Smart lipo and traditional lipo 4 1/2 weeks ago. I had a lot of bruising, which has almost completely disappeared but have soooo many questions with regard to my healing!! I have done HBOxygen and Dermawave treatments as well as lymphatic drainage massages. I am now thinking of doing Triactive to help with swelling and tightness in my abodomen and waist.

I have a hard stomach, which I am told is due to swelling. But, I've also been told that excess protein will lead to scar tissue!! I have been wearing my compression garments non-stop and wonder if that is actually slowing my recovery down (constriction of lymph nodes, etc.) My fear is this tight stomach (due to fluid) will somehow solidify into scar tissue!!

I am doing self-massage and trying everything I can to have the best possible outcome from this surgery. I do not want areas of hardness (scar tissue) to remain. Am I doing the right things? The doctor says to wear the compression garments for 6-8 weeks now. Beforehand, he had said 6 weeks, and maybe less if I did the extra treatments (HBO, Dermawave, etc.) Today, he said I'd wear them until the firmness (fluid) went away. That could take MONTHS!! Ugh.

I am just so confused by all of this. Now, he said to start exercising unrestricted, but wear the compression garments (Spanx)...but make sure nothing leaves a mark on my waist that might remain. When do I have to stop worrying about marks? Frankly, everything leaves marks. Even the corset leaves marks. They go away, but... I am just confused by all this. I want to do everything right. Am I doing the right stuff here?

Asked 41 months ago by Pbachi in Wellington, FL

Sounds like you need some answers.

Most plastic surgeons are going to tell you to wear a compression garment for several weeks after the procedure. All of this other stuff may help to some degree but it also seems excessive. What type of Hyperbaric Oxygen are you doing? Are you really going in an oxygen chamber under physican observation and being pressurized? There are many "pseudo" hyperbaric oxygen therapies sold by doctors who either don't know or don't care about the science of hyperbaric oxygen. Simply going in... more

Evan Sorokin, MD

Cherry Hill Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Post liposuction care

It sounds like you are doing all of the right things in the post-operative period. As for Smartlipo, I usually tell my patients to wear their garments for at least 2 weeks and longer if possible. For traditional liposuction, the healing time is longer, and the garnments typically need to be worn longer. You will continue to heal and see improved results for up to a year so don't get discouraged. Those supplemental treatments can help, and I have seen some good results with some of them, but... more

Jennifer S. Landy MD

Tampa Ophthalmologist

You are overdoing it.

Hello, Post liposuction care other than a good diet, sun avoidance and a good compression garment is money poorly spent at least in my opinion. I am not sure if your doctor sold you on all that stuff, but it is probably not important. Skin tightness is not frequently achieved with liposuction. Either your skin is elastic enough with a good blood supply or it isn't. Massage can help swelling come down more quickly, but there is no good evidence that this changes the outcome of the operation.... more

John P. Di Saia, MD

Orange Plastic Surgeon

Liposuction

Alot of questions. In general, I tell my patients that they should wear a compression garment for 4-6 weeks. If there are areas of firmness, then I tell them that they can do gentle massage over the area for lymphatic drainage. Otherwise they have no restrictions.

Steven Wallach, MD

Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

It should be a lot simpler

Assuming your Smartlipo and traditional lipo was uncomplicated, it sounds like you are doing more than we would recommend in our practice. Most of our traditional and Smartlipo patients wear a garment for 3-4 weeks after surgery and that is pretty much it. HBO, Dermawave, lymphatic drainage and any adjunctive treatments would be extremely rare in our practice. From time to time (5-10% of patients) we may recommend something like Endermologie or VelaShape to supplement or enhance a... more

Francisco Canales, MD

Santa Rosa Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Proper recovery after liposuction.

Your recovery is somewhat slower than average. I think the telling sign is what you describe as a lot of bruising. This most likely (in absence of any medical conditions that you might have) represents excess trauma during your surgery and/or sub-optimal application of post-operative garment. Fast recovery after a liposuction surgery required proper pre-operative planning by your surgeon, proper execution during your surgery, proper garment application and... more

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Boris M. Ackerman, MD

Newport Beach Plastic Surgeon

ASPS

Minimal post-operative care after liposuction.

Hi. As my colleagues say, it should be a great deal simpler. We don't even use compression garments for most liposuction patients. Lymphatic drainage massage does help.