How long is the liposuction procedure?

The time of liposuction surgery varies dramatically based on what area of the body is being liposuction of course. This can range from 2:50 hours. Your surgeon can give you a good estimate depending on the area of the body that you are treating. Liposuction is usually performed as a day surgery and you are able to go home at the end of the day after an approximate 1 to 2 hours in the recovery room for most liposuction procedures. Going back to work of course depends also on helping your procedure was. If you are having a larger liposuction surgery, most would take several days off especially if one is anticipating taking pain medications. Your surgeon will help advise you on that.

This depends on how much fat is removed and how many areas are being treated. Discuss with your plastic surgeon. 

Length of surgery depends upon the number of areas liposuctioned, the difficulty of removing the fat, and the efficiency of the surgeon.  If the liposuction is very conservative, there is not much downtime at all.   For a more dramatic result, more recovery time is needed.  Most patients can return to work in 3 to 4 days. No strenuous activity should be performed for 6 weeks as exercise early in the recovery period will increase the swelling.  Every patient is different, and every surgery is different. It is hard to provide an average time because everyone has a different pain tolerance level. If the surgery is uneventful, you are released after an hour or two.Kenneth Hughes, MD, Board Certified Plastic SurgeonLos Angeles, CA