Numbness on flanks and tummy after liposuction? When will it go away?

Numbness of the skin after liposuction is common. It may take 3-6 months before you feel sensation in this area. Earl Stephenson, Jr, MD, DDS,FACS

It is not uncommon to experience numbness in the area where liposuction has been performed. In my experience this can take between three and six months to resolve. It is not unusual to feel sensations of burning tingling itching or lightning in these areas until they gradually resolve over time. If these symptoms are increasing you may want to check with your surgeon regarding his recommendations.

Thank you for your
question. Side effects such as minimal bruising, swelling and numbness are
normal to experience after Smartlipo. Please be patient with your results as it
can take up to 6 months to see a final result. In the meantime please follow-up
with your doctor to make sure you are healing properly.

Temporary numbness is common after liposuction.Nerves are generally strong enough to not get cut from liposuction.Nerves have a fatty outside covering called the myelin sheath.If this layer is damaged, which it easily can be from liposuction, then the nerves will not function properly. Damage to nerves or the myelin sheath is referred to as neurapraxia.This can be very mild, such as if you sit with your legs crossed and your foot gets numb, or severe to the point where it can take over a year to heal.Generally, with liposuction, feeling should come back in a couple of months.You may experience changes for much longer though.It would be extremely uncommon for someone to have permanent numbness.Best of luck,Mats Hagstrom, M.D.

Numbness is normal after
liposuction. It usually takes 3 to 4 months to go away after the procedure.

This will almost always go away. In part, this is due too the trauma and bruising in the area. There is no harm in having it checked out by your surgeon, to put your mind at ease. Good luck.