Is another person absolutely needed to care for you after liposuction?

It sounds like you are having a fairly minor procedure (lower tummy liposuction only and you are quite petite to begin with). I guess it depends on what type of anesthesia you are having.  If this is being done under local anesthesia alone you would be fine alone at home.  However, if you are having sedation or general anesthesia then there is the possibility of nausea problems, feeling very drugged or sleepy for most of the day and evening in which case someone should be around to help you if necessary. Good luck!Thomas Taylor, MD, FACSPasadena, CA

Yes, unequivocally. Liposuction is a safe procedure but patients must have a
reliable caretaker the first 24 hours after surgery to be sure at all problems
and concerns are immediately addressed.

A lot depends upon the magnitude of the liposuction in the anesthetic chosen. I think it's a good idea to have someone immediately available the day of the procedure until the next morning.

Thank you for your question!While it is always nice to have someone immediately around after surgery to get you to and from appointments, it is not necessary. You are not able to drive yourself home from surgery. However, you can make arrangements for whatever is convenient for you.After 24 hours, you are able to drive and move around as long as you are not taking narcotic pain medication.Please see your surgeon for specific post-op recommendations. If your surgeon is not board certified please seek the advice of a board certified plastic surgeon who specializes in aesthetic and restorative body surgery.Good luck!Dr Schwartz

It is pretty important to have someone at home with you, especially if you have a hi definition procedure or go under general anesthesia.  Most my patients can do this alone as they are under local anesthesia, but I still suggest a nurse for a night or two or a family member to be there.  Best, Dr. Emer.

I
would recommend following your board certified plastic surgeon’s advice about
post-operative care. This is the best
surgeon to give you individual recommendations.
All patients should have someone with them a minimum of 24 hours after
surgery and anesthesia for their safety. Cosmetic surgery is still real surgery
and should be treated that way. Good
luck with your surgery and please follow your surgeon’s recommendations

Thank you for your question. It is always a good idea to have someone be with you for the first 24 hours after surgery. Aside from potential complications that you will want someone around in case of emergencey, you will also be sore and uncomfortable and may need help with things like preparing a meal, going to the bathroom, changing dresssings, etc. Best regards,Dr. Stutman

My practice is almost exclusively devoted to body contouring using liposuction and fat transfer. Almost all my procedures are done with my patients awake. In order to do this and obtain the advantages of avoiding general anesthesia, very high doses of lidocaine are used. Even though there are good safety guidelines in regards to how much lidocaine can be used, the chance is always there that a patient can develop lidocaine toxicity or a lidocaine overdose. The lidocaine injected during the procedure is absorbed slowly over time after the procedure. The highest blood levels are seen typically 12 hours after the procedure. Should someone develop an overdose of lidocaine, it will typically be seen around that time. If someone's surgery finishes at noon time, that means they are at highest risk at midnight. When large areas or multiple areas are treated, we typically use higher doses of lidocaine, though always within the safety guidelines. With a single area, the chance of your surgeon using very high doses of lidocaine is unlikely. Of the reported fatal lidocaine toxicity cases reported in the United States, most of the patients were alone the night after the procedure. Surgeons who perform liposuction with general anesthesia typically use much lower doses of lidocaine. Just one note on your chosen area to be treated: it is rare, if ever, that I treat the lower abdomen only with liposuction. Patients almost universally need their upper and lower abdomen treated as well as their waist and hips. We typically sell this as an anatomic unit called the full abdomen. Most patients' fat distribution will be grossly abnormal if a single area is treated without treating the surrounding areas. This has been my experience over the last five years and having performed well over 2,000 liposuction procedures.Of course, blanket statements cannot be made in regards to a single patient without sufficient information. The recovery itself of a single area after liposuction is quite well tolerated and not really a big deal. If your procedure is scheduled to be done using general anesthesia, then there may be side effects of the anesthesia that may last many hours. The most common one is postoperative nausea and vomiting.Best of luck,Mats Hagstrom, M.D.

Thank you for your question and as you don't know how you will feel after surgery it might be a nice idea tohave someone around to helpyouDr Corbin