Confused About Liposuction After Care

Question

I had Smart lipo and traditional lipo 4 1/2 weeks ago. I had a lot of bruising, which has almost completely disappeared but have soooo many questions with regard to my healing!! I have done HBOxygen and Dermawave treatments as well as lymphatic drainage massages. I am now thinking of doing Triactive to help with swelling and tightness in my abodomen and waist.
I have a hard stomach, which I am told is due to swelling. But, I've also been told that excess protein will lead to scar tissue!! I have been wearing my compression garments non-stop and wonder if that is actually slowing my recovery down (constriction of lymph nodes, etc.) My fear is this tight stomach (due to fluid) will somehow solidify into scar tissue!!
I am doing self-massage and trying everything I can to have the best possible outcome from this surgery. I do not want areas of hardness (scar tissue) to remain. Am I doing the right things? The doctor says to wear the compression garments for 6-8 weeks now. Beforehand, he had said 6 weeks, and maybe less if I did the extra treatments (HBO, Dermawave, etc.) Today, he said I'd wear them until the firmness (fluid) went away. That could take MONTHS!! Ugh.
I am just so confused by all of this. Now, he said to start exercising unrestricted, but wear the compression garments (Spanx)...but make sure nothing leaves a mark on my waist that might remain. When do I have to stop worrying about marks? Frankly, everything leaves marks. Even the corset leaves marks. They go away, but... I am just confused by all this. I want to do everything right. Am I doing the right stuff here?

Marshall T. Partington, MD, FACS · Answer

Just like in hand surgery, Liposuction aftercare is critical to a great result!Although my patients often use a number of different noninvasive techniques after liposuction, nothing is more important than the garment! You are correct to pay close attention to avoid marks, zippers etc. Sometimes a cotton T-shirt under the garment can help with this. Concerning hardness, yes, much of that is water. Stick to a low sodium diet and be patient, as the swelling comes down by 3 months so will the hardness. Sounds like you are headed to a very nice result.

Darren Smith, MD, FACS · Answer

Hi- thank you for your question. I have found that as far as liposuction aftercare goes, the simpler the better. I generally have my patients wear a compression garment for 48 hours- that’s it. They shower after 48 hours. In general, if surgery is on a Friday, they can return to work on Monday and get back to the gym on Wednesday. I do Not recommend lymphatic massage, as it can be uncomfortable and I’m not aware of data showing that it is helpful. If a patient feels strongly about it, I’m fine with it as does not cause harm. Hope this helps!

Raffy Karamanoukian, MD, FACS · Answer

The goals of liposuction aftercare are to minimize trauma to the treated area, optimize blood perfusion, and limit swelling and bruising. The compression and massage treatments are definitely a must during your recovery. Raffy Karamanoukian Los Angeles

Boris M. Ackerman, MD · Answer

Your recovery is somewhat slower than average.  I think the telling sign is what you describe as a lot of bruising.   This most likely (in absence of any medical conditions that you might have) represents excess trauma during your surgery and/or sub-optimal application of post-operative garment.

	Fast recovery after a liposuction surgery  required proper pre-operative planning by your surgeon, proper execution during your surgery, proper garment application and instructions, and to a lesser degree postoperative massage, hyperbaric, etc.  As  your case clearly illustrates that the use of lase/smart, etc. devices do not guarantee good outcome.  Make sure your surgeon not only has the latest equipment, but the knowledge, talent and experience to achieve the desired result.

Francisco Canales, MD · Answer

Assuming your Smartlipo and traditional lipo was uncomplicated, it sounds like you are doing more than we would recommend in our practice.  Most of our traditional and Smartlipo patients wear a garment for 3-4 weeks after surgery and that is pretty much it.
HBO, Dermawave, lymphatic drainage and any adjunctive treatments would be extremely rare in our practice.  From time to time (5-10% of patients) we may recommend something like Endermologie or VelaShape to supplement or enhance a result, but most of the time, normal healing takes place without any adjuncts.
Sometimes rushing into adjunct treatments can increase swelling and delay healing, so make sure you have a conversation with your doctor about this possibility.  If you are paying for all these treatments it also is adding a lot of cost to what should be a benign postop course.

Confused About Liposuction After Care

Answers (10)