Recovery

For general safety reasons you will need a responsible adult to be with you for the first 24 hours post-operatively (whether you have a general anaesthetic or not). As the local anaesthetic wears off, the use of oral pain-relieving medications that Dr Masters will prescribe becomes necessary. Some patients literally take no additional pain relief; others find themselves in considerable discomfort for a number of days, requiring strong oral pain relief. There is no way to predict how a certain individual will respond to the post-operative discomfort. As a rule, the smaller the area of liposuction performed, the less discomfort the patient has.

Not infrequently, the small puncture sites ooze fluid for 24 hours. Although some patients find this alarming as it can frequently be bloodstained, it is completely normal following this kind of procedure.

Usually there are areas of altered skin sensation, like pins and needles, wherever liposuction has been performed. Full return of normal sensation is expected and can take a number of months.

During the procedure the cannula tip often bumps into the underlying muscle layer. This causes some bruising of the muscle, which is reflected in muscular discomfort for a number of days after the procedure.

For the first 3 weeks a post-operative compression suit is worn over all of the areas that were treated. This is designed to limit swelling, increase safety, increase comfort and improve the final result. The suit can be worn under clothing and is worn at all times except when showering.

Most patients are able to return to gentle cardiovascular exercise by Day 3. Higher impact exercise (eg aerobics classes, running, etc) should not be resumed until at least 3 weeks after the procedure. Your body needs this time to help reform the fibrous tissue joining your skin to the deeper layers. Swimming is an excellent post-operative exercise; however, it should not be commenced until the punctures are absolutely healed (approximately 12 days).