Are second stage garments after having liposuction necessary?

I do not think 2nd stage garments are necessary.  It partially has to do with whether you think the prolonged use of garments helps your final result.  I recommend and think that wearing garments for about 4 weeks post op is good enough.  Having said that, patients often still want to wear something for support and so I recommend Spanx or some other garment that the patients often find online by themselves.  You can continue to use the 1st stage garment but most of my patients lose enough weight after surgery that the first garment never seems to be tight enough so they get a smaller size.  The main difference between 1st and 2nd stage garments are the zippers and the crotch.

People often like to switch to second stage garments that don't have hooks and zipper because they are more comfortable and less bulky under their clothes. You need easy access with first stage because you are sore, but something like Spanx works well for the second stage. You can certainly keep using your first stage, but patients are usually more than happy to ditch them as soon as they are able.