Does Swelling on Knees After Liposuction Last Longer Than Other Areas?

Question

hi i had liposuction on my knees and inner and outer thighs a week ago. does it take longer for swelling to go down on knees as they look bigger than they did before lipo when should i start to massage them?

David Shafer, MD, FACS · Answer

Yes, because of gravity, the swelling will accumulate in the knees and last the longest here when you have liposuction of your thighs. If you elevate your legs and continue to wear compressive garments you should do well. Good luck with your recovery.

Otto Joseph Placik, MD · Answer

Swelling tends to settle according to gravitational principles. The lower extremites demonstrate progressively increased swelling as you travel distally. Therefore the ankles will tend to swell more as will the knees when compared to the thighs.

Ron Shelton, MD · Answer

Swelling from liposuction on the lower body takes longer to resolve than upper body surgery. Knee and calve/ankle liposuction can take the longest to recover from swelling. Compression garments, leg elevation and avoidance of prolonged sitting or standing can help.

Jeffrey Weinzweig, MD, FACS · Answer

Swelling differs from patient to patient, but usually last between 1-3 months. A compression garment will serve to reduce swelling more rapidly.

Stephen M. Chen, MD · Answer

Hi, you are not alone in this dilemna. With the suction of the medial and lateral thigh and the knees, the swelling will persist longest in the most dependent area. If you could lounge around all day and keep your legs elevated, this would help, however, this is impractical for 99.9% of all people and does put you more at risk for deep venous thrombosis by not ambulating. Compression garments will aid this process, but in the end, it is tincture of time for all of the swelling to finally subside. If you come back to this post, please post a follow up to let us all know when the swelling finally went away and if you are happy with your procedure.

Steven Wallach, MD · Answer

Liposuction of the knees and lower estremities in general takes longer to dissipate than most other areas. Dependent areas usually do.

Sybile Val, MD - Account Suspended · Answer

Thank you for your question. Yes, swelling can take longer to dissipate in the knee and lower leg areas. At one week post op, it is too soon to expect to see the swelling minimize overall and much less in the knee area. You need to give your swelling more time to subside.

Does Swelling on Knees After Liposuction Last Longer Than Other Areas?

Answers (7)