Why is It That It Takes 3 to 6 Months Following Vaser for Final Results?

Good afternoon!

As with any liposuction procedure, swelling is a factor after surgery that delays seeing your final results.  Sometimes VASER can increase the swelling time a bit more than standard liposuction.  One way we combat this in our office is a series of mechanically assisted massage treatments (Endermologie) that help mobilize the swelling and hasten your recovery.

 

I hope this helps

     Swelling can figure prominently into liposuction after a few weeks.  The results are typically observed immediately following surgery, and then there is a period of swelling that can persist for 3 to 6 months and sometimes longer.  The key factor in this is to assure that there is only swelling and not a fluid collection that must be drained.  Only a physical exam will be able to sort these issues out.  Kenneth Hughes, MD Los Angeles, CA

Great question. Improvements with Vaser Liposuction are related to two processes: fat removal and skin contraction.  The initial process of fat removal causes a fair amount of swelling. This blunts the immediate effects of the fat removal (which is immediate) and can be frustrating to some patients as swelling can persist.  It usually resolves over a period of 2 to 3 months. 

Thereafter, the improvement seen is related to skin tightening with collagen deposition and remodeling. This process takes a bit longer, up to approximately 6 months.  Unfortunately a bit of patience is regarding with this technology, but it works!   Best of luck.

Liposuction is a specific surgical wound made in a controlled fashion.  All surgery takes one year....facelift, liposuction, tummy tuck, cancer surgery, gall badder and so on.   When you twist and tear ankle ligaments  in you ankle knee or hip it take one year to 100% heal.   All healing takes one year.  This is a well established fact of medical science.  There is no way to speed healing. Zero.  You can hinder healing by excessive early activity,  by smoking, drinking  excessive alcohol, sun damage, etc. So what happens in ANY WOUND ......and liposuction of any sort is a wound.   Initially blood comes into a wounded area.  The blood forms a healing clot.  The blood establishes defenses against infection, fibroblasts and white cell come in.  White cells fight any infection threat.  Fibroblasts lay down collagen or scar tissue that makes a wound strong.   Wound contract and become firm and  will later relax.   In the wounded area there are trillions of tiny lymphatic vessels that are scattered to the wind by the  liposuction injury and are no longer connected and no longer function.  The lymphatic non function causes causes swelling. There s no way to speed lymphatic re anastomosis.   When the lymphatics eventually heal and reconnect the fluid moves out as normal.  Gradually swelling gos away.   You can temporarily increase swelling by salt ingestion.  Temporary,  but salt takes 4 days to go away in the urine.   So this whole process takes a year and when you look at a wound under a microscope this activity can be seen and does not stabilize until one year.  Surgery is Day one.  Swelling maximizes at 36 to 48 hours and then subsides.  Ay 6 weeks 60% of swelling is gone but then things get slow.  By 3 to 4 months 80 % of swelling is gone.  By 6 to 7 months 90% of swelling is gone.  You lose the last 10% in the months 7 to 12.   There is NO WAY TO SPEED THIS.   There are many ways to hinder it.  You get the best healing by not doing anything to hurt healing such as salt or tobacco etc.   Patients seem to resist accepting the wound healing process and there are many questions about this on RealSelf.   One year to completion and there is NO WAY AROUND THIS.   Like the sun rises in the East and sets in the West,  the healing process takes 6 to 12 months to completion.  There is a difference in individuals but that is mainly orientated to good health.   Healthy people heal better than ill smokers but even they heal eventually.  The good news is that plastic surgery patients are healthy and are 90% by 6 months.  My Best,  Dr C

Although many patients will see results in 1-3 months, full results including tissue tightening take months to occur. Why? the body must heal from the surgery and this takes 3-6 months

Early swelling after Vaser liposuction improves relatively quickly after surgery (4-6 weeks). After this initial swelling resolves, the treated area continues to improve over the next several months as collagen within the skin and supporting structures remodels and tightens. This remodeling takes time, similar to the maturation of scars within incisions. Thank you for your question. Best wishes.