Question: How soon can I go back to work and exercise after liposuction?
Answer:
Everyone is different and recovery is faster for small liposuctions and slower for larger ones, but here is a good general guide to liposuction recovery after removing 3000 – 5000 cc of fat, which is fairly standard.
- Day of surgery
- You go home groggy, stiff, sore and perhaps in pain when you move.
- You are able to be up and around but moving slowly.
- You are wearing a surgical garment for support.
- Day 1
- You drain fluid for 24 hours – usually pink, sometimes dark pink or red.
- You can take ibuprofen for pain and may not need any narcotic except to sleep.
- You are tired, stiff and sore, especially when you first get moving.
- Day 3
- You can remove the garment, shower, wash and replace the garment after drying.
- Days 1 – 5
- You usually need a narcotic pain killer or two to get to sleep
- You are still sore – some areas may be lumpy and especially tender.
- Energy is a 5-6/10
- Day 5 – 7
- You can work from home or work if you have a short commute to work and a desk job.
- If you do not wear the garment, you will be exhausted.
- Day 7 – 10
- Most people are back to work.
- Those with physically demanding jobs will be very tired and may need to leave early.
- Without the garment, sitting or physical work will be much more tiring.
- Because of swelling, you may still feel and look ‘fatter.’
- Weeks 2-6
- The garment is work for comfort – it usually relieves aching and swelling.
- Walking and other non-impact exercise is allowed as comfort allows.
- Swelling begins to subside, result begins to appear
- Week 6 –
- Most people stop wearing the garment – some will continue for comfort
- Running, jumping, boxing etc can resume – but slowly
- The final result beings to appear
- Months 6 – 12
- Final result – tissues soft, feeling has returned, scars have faded.
- Smaller liposuctions have a much faster recovery, but the swelling/healing process is the same.
- Liposuctions larger than 5,000 are usually avoided because of a higher risk of bleeding and longer recovery. People who are significantly overweight may need several sessions of liposuction if they want to treat more than 1-2 areas.