Lipo Recovery

Lipo is an ever-increasingly popular surgical technique. Because of improvements in technology, Lipo is becoming safer and less-invasive than ever. However, Lipo is still a major surgery, and it takes the body some work to recover fully. While how quickly a person heals depends in great measure upon his or her overall health, the amount of fat that has been removed and the skill of his or her Lipo surgeon, it is possible to make some generalizations about the recovery process of Lipo.

What Is It Like To Recover From A Lipo?

When you first get out of your Lipo, you should not plan on driving yourself home. You will quite possibly be feeling woozy or ill from the Lipo surgery. You may not be reasoning one hundred percent clearly, so plan on having a responsible adult who can care for you at your home on the day of your Lipo surgery. As your decision making capabilities may be hampered, you should not plan on making any important personal decisions within 24 hours of your Lipo surgery.

When you first get home after your Lipo, you should spend your first hours resting quietly. Your body has just been through some trauma, and it needs rest in order to heal. If you're feeling up to it, in the evening you can feel free to take a short walk. Do not drive or operate dangerous machinery until the day after your Lipo surgery. By the second day, you will probably feel well enough to drive and move around. However, you should wait to begin strenuous exercise until at least two days after Lipo surgery, and longer if you don't feel well.

You Lipo doctor will instruct you on how to slowly get back to your normal routine and when to start your exercise routine again. If you give your body time to heal you will be back to normal soon after your Lipo.

When you begin your exercise program again, go slowly. Don't push it--it's much better to be safe than sorry. On your first day of returning to working out, only do about a quarter of what you would normally do, and then wait to see how you feel afterward. If you still feel good, then do slightly more the next day. Continue this process until you have returned to your normal regimen.

If you have a harsh or physically demanding job, you will want to be careful not to rush back into work too quickly. However, if you have a desk job or some other non-taxing form of work, you should probably be able to return to work within just a day or two. However, you should still remember what your body has been through; don't push yourself too hard, and don't be surprised if you wear out more easily than you're used to, or if you get sore or stiff easily. You will probably experience your worst pain the second day after your Lipo. After that, it should get steadily better. If you experience sharp increases in pain, speak to your doctor.

While you should be able to return to normal activity relatively quickly after your Lipo, you probably won't see your best results for weeks or months. Swelling and bruising typically take a number of weeks to go down. Once the swelling has gone down, your skin may appear looser and floppier for a number of months, but with time your skin will begin to tighten again.

You will probably hit your optimum skin tightness about six months after your Lipo surgery.

What Can I Do To Help My Lipo Recovery Go As Smoothly As Possible?

The first and most obvious rule for a quick and healthy Lipo recovery is to obey your doctor's orders. This will solve the majority of complications you could run into. Keep your follow-up appointments with your Lipo doctor, and keep your Lipo doctor apprised as to your healing process. Obey all the instructions you are given even if they seem difficult or unnecessary; your Lipo doctor has more experience than you, and he or she is only trying to help you.

During the first day or two after Lipo surgery, you might experience some dizziness or fainting. Be cautious as you move about, and especially as you get up. Falling over won't help your recovery process. Also, if you get faint at the sight of blood, realize that you should be cautious while changing your bandages or compression garment, as they will be blood-tinged.

Wear the compression garments according to your Lipo doctor's orders. These will both help you to heal and will improve the cosmetic results of your Lipo surgery.

During the first few days after your Lipo, get adequate rest. Let your body heal. Once several days have passed, ease back into exercise. Don't push yourself, though. Go at your own pace and you will heal with fewer hiccups. However, don't simply pass on exercise either; mild exercise can help you avoid blood clots and other potential complications.

Eat a healthy diet. Make sure you drink enough water or juice to keep yourself hydrated; you may have lost fluids during Lipo surgery without knowing it.

Shower, rather than bathe, and shower once or twice a day. Keeping the incision sites clean will help you to avoid infection. When you wash your incisions, make sure you wash your hands first. Also, wash your compression garment regularly.

If you have been prescribed antibiotics, make sure you take them until you have finished your prescription. Do not stop early, even if you feel totally fine.

If you experience itching, you can use benadryl. For pain, use tylenol. Avoid NSAIDS like ibuprofen, because these can cause increased bleeding and increase the chances of infection after Lipo surgery.

While you recover, do not use ice packs or heating pads in the areas where you have received Lipo. Do not go swimming or bathing for at least seven days after your Lipo surgery. The bacteria present in pools, hot tubs, lakes, ponds and oceans can increase the chances of infection after Lipo surgery.

Lastly, do not use hydrogen peroxide or other topical antibiotics on your incision sites. Use the absorbent wrappings or bandages given by your Lipo doctor; do not replace with plastic bandages like band-aids.

Why Do I Need To Wear A Compression Garment After Lipo?

Many patients are less than enthusiastic when it comes to wearing their compression garments after a Lipo. Made from some sort of stretchy cloth, they can be irritating or uncomfortable to wear. They also frequently look funny because they're intended for function, not beauty. However, they are very important.

Compression garments can help Lipo patients reduce bleeding and swelling. They can also help assist in the Lipo post-surgery draining process. In the most common form of Lipo today, the tumescent Lipo technique, large amounts of fluid are injected into the target area to make it easier to remove fat. The faster this fluid exits the body, the better and more quickly the body will be able to recover, and the more quickly post-surgery swelling will go down. The pressure supplied by compression garments help encourage excess fluids to leave the body as quickly as possible after Lipo.

The amount of time that you will need to wear a compression garment after your Lipo will depend on whether or not your Lipo doctor stitched your incision sites shut.

If the incisions were left open, you will probably only need to wear your garment for a few days. If your Lipo surgeon chooses to close your incisions, then more of the excess fluid will be trapped inside your body and you will probably have to wear the garment for somewhere between 2 and 6 weeks.

If you do not wear your compression garments for the full time specified by your Lipo doctor, you could experience complications after your Lipo including lengthier healing time, less pleasing results and more serious health issues.

How Can I Know If I'm Healing Correctly After Lipo?

One thing that people commonly want to know is if they're healing correctly after your Lipo surgery. The best sources for answers are, of course, medical professionals. Your physician and your Lipo surgeon are your best source for knowing what is healthy and what is something to be alarmed by. This section gives some very basic ideas about some things that can be good or bad signs during a patient's convalescence after Lipo surgery. It is not in any way intended for use in the diagnosis or treatment of medical conditions.

Lipo routinely causes a number of uncomfortable and unsightly things during the recovery period. Light to severe bruising is very common, due to the tissue trauma sustained during the procedure. Nausea because of local anesthesia or because of pain medicines prescribed is similarly common. Most Lipos are performed using the tumescent method, which involves the use of large amounts of fluid. These fluids typically drain from the incision sites in the days following the Lipo surgery. These are typically not cause for concern, although if you experience large amounts of nausea or extreme or increasing pain you may want to consult with your Lipo doctor.

While some bruising, swelling, pain, and nausea are common following a Lipo, there are some symptoms that do tend to indicate that serious problems may be happening. If you find that you are experiencing large amounts of nausea, extreme or increasing pain, or a high fever, you will want to speak with your Lipo doctor. Similarly, if your nausea doesn't clear up relatively soon after your Lipo surgery or if it leads to continuous vomiting, you will want to alert the Lipo doctor. Vomiting blood is a bad sign and you should contact your Lipo doctor immediately.

Likewise, if the skin in a swollen area begins to take on a dark appearance, this could mean bad things. If the area around your incision site begins to look strange, to form pus around it, or if it begins to form blisters or holes, contact your Lipo doctor. Red streaks in the skin going up your chest or limbs are also cause to speak with your Lipo doctor.

Although drainage is normal, if the drainage begins to smell foul, or if you notice that it's beginning to look cloudy, make sure to speak with your doctor.