Feeling bigger 2 days post Vaser Lipo? Is this normal?

Thanks for your question and try not to feel disheartened.  However much fat your surgeon removed...it is now gone; therefore, you are going to be smaller than you were before the surgery, provided you do not gain weight.  It is true that some people's fat is much more "fibrous" than others'.  You can think of it as a dense cobweb of collagen and connective tissue fibers that surround and intertwine between globules of fat cells, holding everything in place.  Everyone has these fibers holding things in place, but some folks just have a lot more of it than others.  Those who do are very frustrating to us liposuction doctors, because it takes much longer and is much more work to get the fat out and as a group, they are a little more likely to feel that not enough fat was removed.  There is no way to predict who is going to be like this.  Regardless, if I had a patient, who, for some reason, I knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that she had extremely fibrous fat and she wanted liposuction done, I would have a very frank discussion about it with her.  I would tell her that sometimes results are not as dramatic, because it is so much more difficult to get the fat out that we simply cannot get as much out as we can with a less fibrous patient.  In my hypothetical scenario, the patient tells me, "look, Doc, I'm starting a diet and exercise program and I just want a jump-start so my figure will be more attractive; can you help me?"  I would 100% recommend Vaser lipo above all other options.  Vaser is "the bomb" as far as loosening up those globules of fat that are trapped in their cobweb of dense fibers.  A close second place is the technique of performing aggressive mechanical disruption, using specialized liposuction cannulas (only to be used OFF-SUCTION) before attempting to aspirate any tissue out.  At 2 days post-op, you still have a lot of the numbing fluid in the treated areas and that will offset the results to some degree.  I tell all my liposuction patients though, that they should be able to see some improvement immediately (post-op day 1), but that the swelling will get worse before it gets better, usually peaking in 1-2 weeks post-op.  From there, it gets better and better every day, but really takes a full 4-6 months (sometimes more) for nearly all swelling to resolve.  My advice to you is to stay off the scale for a while (you're actually heavier now than you were on the day of surgery, despite a significant amount of fat having been removed; this is almost 100% water weight) and be patient.  When evaluating your results, do it with photos comparing before surgery to after surgery and zero in the areas that were treated.  Most Drs. do not want to even think about revision procedures until after 6 months; my preference is 9 months.  Self-massage and/or professional massage can also help with discoloration from bruising and help mobilize fluid out of the area so that your body can eliminate it via the urine.  Hang in there!Warm regards,Dr. Bullis

Hello 09fbeePatients would usually experience swelling post-op but always contact your surgeon about your concern.

You are only a couple days post procedure and you will not see much of a difference at this point.  The key is to not get yourself too worried at this point because the body will swell up and a lot of fluid was used for your procedure.  Give it some time, trust the process and do things that you can control such as : get early intervention lymphatic massages, maintain a low sodium/carb diet and make sure you are moving around atleast 20-30 minutes per day.  6 months for final results, meaning that at day 2 you are only at the tip of the icebergGood Luck

Hello, this is a very normal postoperative question. We find that in many instances the patient retained fluid in the first 1-2 weeks following the procedure. I would not be discouraged and I recommendthat you continue to follow up with her treating plastic surgeon. Patients may have swelling for approximately 1-3 months following this procedure and we have seen some skin tightening approximately 6 months following this procedure. Best of luck with your continued recovery.

Hello 98fbee,

I’m sorry for the adverse symptoms you are experimenting. Two days is too short of a time to evaluate the outcomes of your surgery. Maximum results would take at least four months to show. For VASER Liposuction optimal results, I typically recommend my patients wearing specialized compression garments 24 hours a day, during six months, to reduce swelling and help their skin contract smoothly to their new body’s contours. Additionally, a minimum of ten lymphatic drainage massage sessions are required to eliminate excess lymph fluid and prevent complications such as seromas (fluid collection) and contour irregularities (indentations). Consult with your plastic surgeon about your specific needs and concerns. With appreciation, Dr. De La Cruz.

Hello 98fbee,

Because you are only 2 days post procedure, so you may still be experiencing swelling. I would give it some more time, and try to avoid sodium. Best of luck.