How long until normal sensation returns following Lipo?

Question

3 weeks ago I had full back, flanks, abs, inner thighs, and submental lipo. My back and trunk is really numb. Why are these areas more numb then others? And how long will it take until this goes away?

Robert N. Severinac, MD · Answer

The sensory nerves traveling through the fat to the skin are injured during liposuction.  This leads to numbness.  As the nerves heal, the numbness should subside but this will take months.  You may experience tingling and burning sensations as the nerves heal.  All my best.

Kurtis Martin, MD · Answer

Normal sensation can take 6-12 months to return following a liposuction. I have never seen a permanent sensory loss with liposuction. It is normal for some areas to be more numb than others.

Jason Emer, MD · Answer

this takes weeks to months to go away and will improve over time alone but in our practice we give medication and do venus legacy radiofrequency treatments to improve this more quickly.  Best, Dr. Emer.

Jeffrey E. Schreiber, MD, FACS · Answer

It may take several weeks to months for all of the numbness to go away as the nerves need to regenerate or recover after your surgery.

Christian Subbio, MD · Answer

Everyone has different anatomy, heals differently, and has had a different procedure in how aggressive  your surgeon has been.  As well, the type of liposuction can affect this.  The good news is that it should resolve completely.  The question is how long will it take for you?  Is impossible to tell given the above variability, though in my experience, numbness after 2 months is quite uncommon.  Be aware, it may take longer, the important thing is that you keep in close contact with your plastic surgeon and you should be just fine.  Best of luck! Dr. SubbioBoard-Certified Plastic SurgeonNewtown Square/Philadelphia, PA

Nelson Castillo, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question.  Numbness in the back and trunk is common after liposuction as a result of irritation to the nerves traveling underneath the skin. Since the back and trunk tend to require the most work, it is no surprise that these areas have the more severe numbness.  This typically spontaneously resolves over the first few months after treatment, but may take up to 6 months or more.  It should improve as your swelling resolves and your body has an opportunity to heal further.  Hang in there!

Richard Wellington Swift, MD · Answer

Liposuction remains a revolutionary procedure, because the blunt liposuction cannula safely removes the fat, yet it preserves the sensory nerves and blood vessels to the skin. It can take several weeks to months for the sensation to return completely, and it will. Itchiness of the skin is a sign that the sensation is returning. Best wishes, Dr. Richard Swift

John Zavell, MD, FACS · Answer

Your trunk and back  usually require more aggressive liposuction than the submental or inner thigh areas.  The trauma to the nerves along with the swelling results in the numbness.  Recovery of sensation may take several months for your back and trunk, but this is not unusual.  Good luck.

Marc J. Salzman, MD, FACS (retired) · Answer

Numbness in the skin after liposuction is very common. It's been my experience that the thicker skin of the back and flanks seems to take the longest to recover. Gentle massage seems to help. Over time,this will usually get better. Good luck.

How long until normal sensation returns following Lipo?

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