How long will I be sore, tight and in pain after 360 lipo?

Question

It’s been 7 weeks since I got 360 lipo and I’m still super sore and have a lot of tightness and pain. I’m still using gabapentin and now on tramadol for pain. When will I feel better? Is this normal? I no longer have any bruising but the pain is still pretty intense. Is there anything I can do to help this? My PS office assures me this is pretty normal but I don’t see many people talk about how long this recovery really is.

Kenneth Hughes, MD · Answer

Every patient is different, and every surgery is different. It is hard to provide an average time because everyone has a different pain tolerance level. Eight to 10 Weeks after liposuction there is frequently swelling, tightness, and numbness.  This should improve over 3 to 6 months.  I do not recommend lymphatic massage for my patients, because I feel as though if the result is smooth on the table, the result can only be sabotaged.

Alex Campbell, MD · Answer

Thanks for your question. Healing after liposuction is usually pretty straight forward.  There is a process of swelling and bruising that peaks at 3 days after surgery and then undergoes the first stage of major resolution in the first 2 weeks after surgery.  The lateer phase of healing takes place over the 2-3 months after surgery where everything really settles and softens.  It is after this time that we are getting close to the final result, though this varies patient to patient.

Jason Emer, MD · Answer

Pain can be variable for patients who have had liposuction. If necessary, this pain can be treated with anti-inflammatory medications and neurontin. If it persists, I recommend following up with your Doctor. It can take 3-6 months for final results with liposuction. I suggest lymphatic massage, hyperbaric oxygen, and RF treatments like venus legacy to help reduce any swelling. To improve your final results, I also recommend adding vanquish for further fat removal, exilis/venus legacy for skin tightening, cellutone/z wave to make the skin smooth, remove scar tissue, and improve the skin’s appearance. See an expert. Best, Dr. Emer

Robert M. Tornambe, MD · Answer

Ladyj234 I appreciate your concern, and it can take as long as six months for all swelling to resolve after extensive liposuction. However, it is unusual for a patient seven weeks postop to have severe enough pain after surgery to require tramadol. I would express your concerns with your plastic surgeon and perhaps check in with your medical doctor to be certain that the pain is not caused by other issues, unrelated to your surgery.  Good luck!

Francis Johns, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question.Liposuction recovery is a very slow process. The swelling usually peaks at about 2 weeks, then gradually begins to lessen. It is not uncommon for the skin to feel tight and sore, sometimes you will feel itchy as well. Lymphatic massage can help to speed up the healing process, along with wearing your compression garments.

David Finkle, MD · Answer

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Liposuction is the suction removal of subcutaneous fat. Subcutaneous fat is located just below the surface of the skin and above the muscles and bones. It doesn't remove all of the fat, but it does remove the majority of the fat. The perfect candidate is at or near their ideal body weight and has localized areas of fat that are out of proportion to the rest of the body.  It is not a weight reduction technique. It can be used on any area of the body, but it relies on the skin redraping after the fat is removed. So, if you have loose skin, you may end up with wrinkles or folds after the surgery. Some areas respond better to liposuction than others, the lateral thighs always look nice, the inner thighs and arms, not so much. The tummy depends on how loose the skin was to begin with. It does not remove or improve stretch marks. There are many different terms used for liposuction:
Tumescent liposuctionPower liposuctionLaser liposuctionVaser liposuctionSmart liposuctionUltrasonic liposuctionAnd many, many more. All these techniques vary a little, but the bottom line is that the fat is removed by high powered suction. A small tube or cannula with multiple holes at the end is hooked to a suction device. The cannula is moved rapidly back and forth to remove the fat through very small incisions in the skin. All blood vessels, nerves, muscle, bone and skin is left alone, just the fat is removed. Large amounts of fluid are placed in the subcutaneous fat before the suction begins to reduce bleeding and to numb the skin, this fluid is referred to as tumescent fluid and consists of a balanced salt solution mixed with adrenalin and a local anesthetic. There are 3 choices of anesthesia:
Local anesthesia (the patient is awake)Local with sedation (the patient is given a mild sedation)General anesthetic (the patient is asleep)The choice is based upon an agreement between the patient and the surgeon. Make sure you consult with a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon who operates in a nationally accredited surgery center and offers board certified anesthesia. If the price you are quoted seems abnormally low, please do your research and find out why, you do not want to be surprised the day of your surgery! Liposuction can be combined with many other procedures; tummy tuck, breast reduction, thigh lift, arm lift, neck lift and is an essential part of a Brazilian Butt lift (this is where the fat comes from!)
All of my patients are treated post operatively with a compression garment that is worn for 2 weeks and 5 Endermologie sessions that start 3-4 weeks after the procedure. Endermologie is a non surgical massage technique that helps to smooth out the results of the surgery to help prevent wrinkling and rippling of the skin. Liposuction is not a very painful procedure and recovery is usually quick. 
Most people are back to work in 3-5 days and back to vigorous exercise in 2 weeks. Of course, if more areas are treated, there will be more pain post operatively and a longer recovery. I was back to work 3 days after my abdominal liposuction and no one knew any better! 
The cost varies not only from city to city, but from patient to patient. The more areas that are treated, the higher the cost. In the midwest, typical liposuction prices varies from $3,000-6,000 total.
Good Luck!

Nicholas Galardi, MD · Answer

Thank you for your questions. Everybody heals differently and takes different periods of time to heal. You should schedule and appointment with your surgeon to discuss your ongoing pain and hopefully they will be able to help you. Good Luck.

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