Heat or Ice for Liposuction Swelling?

If the swelling is in the area of the surgery, compression is the best via garments.  Ice compresses can be helpful in the first day of the procedure and the next, but please be careful as the area is numb for many hours after the procedure and you don't want to leave the ice on for too long, or fall asleep with the ice in place and cause problems wtih the skin. If the swelling is in an area below the area of surgery, then these fluids which are just settling by gravity will need time to go away. Usually swelling resolves in two to three weeks and continues to improve the last little percent for a while thereafter.

This is common following liposuction. It is important to follow your surgeon's post-care instructions and make sure to wear your compression garment. To help with swelling, you can also drink plenty of fluids, go to the washroom regularly, cut back on salt, and walk leisurely around to assist in your circulation. These will help more than ice or heat packs.

Thank you for the question.

Carefully applied cooling and/or heating can provide symptomatic relief after liposuction surgery. Care must be taken to avoid thermal injury to the skin since the area treated will likely be numb. It is possible to freeze or burn the skin...

Best wishes.