If I Resume Running After 2 Weeks Post Thigh Liposuction Will I Damage Myself?

I tell my patients that they can run 2 weeks after liposuction.  You are not going to damage anything by running.  However, I would check with your operating surgeon, since everyone does things differently. 

It's great that you are so motivated! Which exercises are safe after two weeks depends on the volume of liposuction that was done, how much swelling remains, and your plastic surgeon's professional opinion. You should give your plastic surgeon a call.

Hello Chardonnay,

Everyone surgeon does their surgery differently and has different post surgical recommendation for level of activity.  The best thing to do is ask your surgeon who will be able to give you a better answer after examining you.  But as a general rule I say after 4 weeks you can start running.

The questions that you ask are quite proper and important for your particular situation. However, you should ask your operative surgeon these questions as he/she was the one who performed your surgery and there are variabilities of recommendations for post op activities among physicians. No one answer is necessarily right or wrong. The answer would also be influenced by your particular procedure (volume removed) and your general medical condition (which apparently is excellent).

For most of my patients, I would recommend waiting around two and a half to three weeks before resuming extremely vigorous activities such as long distance running.

As a half marathoner, you will not hurt yourself if you go back to running too soon. The liposuction injury to the tissue is much like a bruise or contusion over a larger area, not muscular or ligamentous injury that haunts runners. If you run, use support, exercise just up to the point of soreness, and remember you might prolong your swelling. You could try swimming, cold water is nice, but there is nothing like a good run. Damage is unlikely but use caution.
Best of luck,
peterejohnsonmd

Dear Chardonnay,

Every surgeon has their own postoperative protocol which they follow for liposuction.  My first recommendation is to always ask your doctor firs, but I personally ask my patients to limit their exercise routines for 3 weeks and wear their compression garment as much as possible.  Dr. Banks is correct; the amount of liposuction aspirate always plays a crucial role in this answer.   Liposuction is a body sculpting mechanism and as physicians we are depending on the elasticity and retract ability of your skin to obtain great aesthetic results.  Unfortunately liposuction can be very painless and thus a lot of patients want to resume physical activity as soon as possible.  In cases where a significant amount of  liposuction was performed the repetitive motions of exercise can produce a prolonged swelling process which might hinder a nice skin retraction and nice results.  This is the reason that I ask my patients to resume exercise only after 3 weeks.

Congratulations on getting back to the gym so quickly.  You will not harm anything related to the liposuction. Go at your own pace and with what seems comfortable to you. If you overdo it, you may have more soreness and swellling but these will get better with rest and will not impact your final result.