How Much Time Should I Wait Between Lipo Procedures? (Photos)

How long one would have to wait is entirely dependent on what you need to revise. We usually wait until all the swelling has subsided. Best, Dr. KaramanoukianRealself100 Surgeon

I recommend waiting 3 months in between procedures.  This allows for some of the swelling to diminish, allowing for more accurate planning.  It also is important to decrease general anesthesia risks such as blood clots by spacing the procedures adequately.   If you are having general anesthesia and such a large volume liposuction (4000-5000cc is large volume),  you are approaching a scenario when it is recommended that you are monitored overnight and not just sent home from an outpatient surgery center due to fluid volume shifts and potential lidocaine toxicity.   Please be sure that you are having the procedure in an accredited facillity with a board certified plastic surgeon.

I would break the liposuctions into 3 procedures a week apart if done under local tumescent anesthesia.  If done under general anesthesia then a few months apart is better since you will probably need touch ups in the previous areas and enough time will have gone by to be able to fix them.  I would do inner, outer and front thighs, knees and buttocks in 1 procedure; upper and lower abdomen and hips in a 2nd procedure; and midback, axillae and arms in a 3rd procedure. Sincerely,

David Hansen,MD

Liposuction revision, also known as liposuction correction or liposhifting, is a cosmetic surgery that improves the results of a previous liposuction procedure. It can be performed on any area of the body that was previously treated, such as the abdomen, hips, thighs, arms, or neck. Some reasons for revision liposuction include: Asymmetry Too much or too little fat removal Sudden weight gain or loss Weight gain or aging after the procedure Skin irregularities, such as skin laxity, irregular bumps, keloids, or a wavy, rippled appearance Dimpling or lumpiness, which can be caused by small pockets of fat or scar tissue The procedure involves making small incisions in the targeted areas, and depending on the case, additional fat may be removed or reinserted. Some risks of liposuction revision include:InfectionBleedingAdverse reactions to anesthesiaScarringIrregularitiesPlacing too much or too little fatSwellingBruising A consultation with a skilled plastic surgeon can determine if liposuction revision is appropriate.

I recommend that patients wait between 3 to 6 months between procedures. It's important to ascertain that all the seeking has dissipated. Also, in elective surgery, you should give body a rest between anesthesia sessions. Then you can critically evaluate what needs to be done in the second procedure or even if this is necessary.

I believe that staging large volume liposuction procedures is the safest weigh to achieve optimal result.  It is very important that the procedure is done in an accredited facility with meticulous monitoring and probably an overnight stay.  I would perform 4-5 liters of liposuction at the initial procedure and treat each are to completion.  I would then wait 3 months to allow your body's physiology to return to normal and for significant swelling resolution to better assess the amount needed at the next stage.  At the next stage,  I would then address the areas that were not treated initially.  I do not like to return to a previously treated site as their tends to be more scar tissue in this area which can lead to increased bleeding, contour abnormalities and ultimately a subotpimal result.   Allowing sufficient time in between stages is much safer than trying to repeat these procedures too close together.  Best of luck!

There appears to be several issues here which are of concern including potential expectations or results. Yes, you can have an improved contour but what you may be expecting could be different.

Regarding the liposuction, if you are having the same areas re-suctioned, my recommendation would be to wait between 3 and 6 months before proceeding. I would be very concerned for a number of reasons regarding a physician who would only wait 4 days. There would be far too much swelling and distortion which will impact the results.

Be vary careful!

The timing between any two surgeries will be dependent on how long it takes your body to recover. The larger the first surgery, the more areas treated, and the greater the blood loss, the longer the recovery. I believe a safe time is 3 months and repeat lab work should be done to confirm optimum health is restored. The patients themselves can be there own best advocate. Don 't do the repeat surgery until you feel yourself again and fully restored. 

I would not do repeat liposuction in the same area personally. I believe one area should be addressed thoroughly and to completion. After liposuction, the area has the invasion of scar tissue making secondary liposuction more difficult, bloody and painful. 

I do think repeat liposuction is fine if addressing totally different areas making sure safety is the priority. 

One another note, I believe your expectations are inappropriate if you are looking to achieve a specific weight. You want to lose 22 pounds with your procedure. I can not emphasize enough that this is not a weight loss procedure. To lose 22 pounds you would need to suction 12 to 13 liters of pure fat. If you instill fluid in a one to one ratio you would then need to suction twice that amount (24 to 25 liters) which would be ill advised in my opinion. Make no mistake, I believe you can achieve a greatly improved result, but a certain weight should not be your goal. Your goal should be improved contour alone. 

While 199 lbs and 5'7" is still a fairly high BMI, you m ay want to focus on diet and exercise first to lower your weight. In general, liposuction is for contouring and for stubborn areas.  The ASPS recommends no more than 5L of fat removed in one session, You probably should wait 3-4 months between to heal and for most of the swelling to subside before going on to do more.

When any type of liposuction is performed, your body reacts in the same manner.  First, there is rapid swelling, maybe some bruising, and or course, some tenderness.  Most of the swelling goes away in the first few weeks but the remaining swelling  and skin shrinkage will take months to completely settle which is why you should consider waiting three months or more before proceeding with your second stage of liposuction.  This applies no matter what type of anesthesia you have; local, IV sedation, or general.  The delay will allow your surgeon to better plan the next stage and enhance your results without having to guess how much swell ling is still present.  This will also allow your body to replenish your blood loss and also the nutritional stores-proteins, etc.-that you use to heal after any type of surgery.  Lastly, try not to focus of how many cc's you need to remove to achieve your goal.  Liposuction is a contouring and sculpting procedure and that is how the results should be judged; not by how many cc's you got out.  Also, large volume liposuction procedures can have increased complications and overnight monitoring may be a very good idea.  Make sure you have your procedure at an accredited surgery center or hospital-(ask the facility and if they are accredited, they will be happy to tell you)-and make sure your surgeon is Board Certified!  Good Luck.