Liposuction: Info, Prices, Photos, Reviews, Q&A

Burning sensations after liposuction or abdominoplasty is quite normal. You probably noticed significant numbness early on and now it may burn or tingle.

Massaging the area should be helpful to these symptoms. Start with very light touch and work your way up to massage.

You are retraining the nerves that were damaged during the surgery. If you notice any redness or skin changes, notify your doctor immediately. (Jaime Perez, MD, Tampa Plastic Surgeon)

It is normal to have a buring sensation after tummy tuck and liposuction. Some patients describe it as “burning, tingling, crawling, itching” sensation.

This is due to stretching and injuring of your sensory nerves during surgery.

Although this sensation is temporary, it may last several months. Massage the area couple times a day. Be careful of placing too hot or cold objects on your abdomen until your sensation gets normalized. In regards to your compression, talk with yours plastic surgeon.

I usually have my patients wear compression garment for 6 weeks. However, post-operative instruction/care differs from surgeon to surgeon. (Sugene Kim, MD, FACS, Houston Plastic Surgeon)

These pains and sensations can be totally normal after Liposuction and Tummy Tuck. It is typically all part of the healing process.

Assuming you have no other concerns and you are seeing your PS regularly for post operative follow up visits massage can help to soften the scar tissue in these areas and help expedite the recovery.

I often recommend for my patients to use a hand held massage device morning and night for 5-10 minutes over the surgical areas. (Renato Saltz, MD, Salt Lake City Plastic Surgeon)

Burning sensation after liposuction and tummy tuck is temporary.

You may have a bruised nerve. Of course, everybody heals differently. You are having more pain after liposuction and tummy tuck than most patients, but it will pass. Massage may help. (George J. Beraka, MD (retired), Manhattan Plastic Surgeon)

If the skin is normal, the burning should resolve

Burning sensations after liposuction or abdominoplasty is quite normal. You probably noticed significant numbness early on and now it may burn or tingle. Local massage with moisturizing creams is very helpful. Start with very light touch and work your way up to massage.

You are retraining the nerves that were damaged during the surgery. If you notice any redness or skin changes, notify your doctor immediately. Often, anti-inflammatories such as Motrin or Aleve can be quite helpful. With you doctor’s okay, try these on a regular basis for a week.

I would also recommend eliminating the garment at this point to reduce the local contact. In my experience, painful sensations from Tummy Tucks all resolve. (David A. Dreyfuss, MD, Orland Park Plastic Surgeon)

Any pain after the immediate postop period deserves attention. Usually massage or ultrasound treatments help, and can usually stop the pain cycle before it gets out of hand. Occasionally medications such as Neurontin are necessary.

In any event, communicate closely with your doctor. (Brent Moelleken, MD, Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon)

If you still felt this way at 3 months, this would not be normal at all. Stay calm, gently massage all areas with lotion. This plus normal healing time will help you sooth these irritated nerve endings. (Richard P. Rand, MD, FACS, Seattle Plastic Surgeon)

It is normal to have temporary changes in sensation following any surgical procedure

It is normal to have numbness and even sometimes the sensation of burning after either the abdominoplasty or liposuction. This is called a dysesthesia or hyperesthesia. It is similar to a bruised nerve. The nerves involved will gradually recover.

This can take several months. It helps to massage the areas of sensory change as this helps to “burn out” the sensations. IF the problem is severe sometimes medications can help. I usually use either Pamelor or Neurotin. (Jeffrey Zwiren, MD, Atlanta Plastic Surgeon)

After surgery, sensory nerves which have been stretched, bruised or cut are healing just as your skin is healing, and as they do they produce different sensations, including burning or itching.

It will settle down with time, but it can take several weeks or even months to fully improve. I will often recommend massage of these areas and most patients feel that this helps. In terms of how long to wear your garment, this is different for each patient and depends a lot on your surgeon’s preference.

Speak with him or her and they will outline a plan for you. (Shahram Salemy, MD, FACS, Seattle Plastic Surgeon)

Burning Sensation Post Liposuction

Yes this is normal. The sense of discomfort experienced weeks after liposuction is usually described as a sensation of “muscle burning”, such as a person would feel while working out aggressively. This will typically resolve with time.

But you must continue wearing your compression garment unless it is too uncomfortable (in which case you must discuss with your surgeon). If you still feel the discomfort is too much to handle, then it is best advised to see your surgeon for follow-up so he or she may track your healing and discuss any concerns that you have in managing your discomfort. (Jayanthy Ravindran, MS, DNB, MRCS, India Plastic Surgeon)

Sensitivity after Liposuction and/or Tummy Tuck

The burning, tightness and itching that you are experiencing is actually a pretty common phenomenon after a tummy tuck and liposuction procedure. While annoying for a majority of patients, these sensations are generally the result of the normal nerve repair following your procedure.

During your tummy tuck and liposuction surgery, your normal sensory nerves are disrupted and stretched and combating the inflammatory process that occurs during the healing process. These sensations can last for several months in the post-operative period but gentle massages often helps with the discomfort by desensitizing the areas treated.

If you are experiencing great discomfort I would strongly recommend following up with your operating surgeon for an evaluation. Even if your surgeon has you come in and after evaluation says that it is part of the normal healing process, it is important to have your doctor evaluate you in person to make sure that everything is healing appropriately. (Stephen T. Greenberg, MD, Woodbury Plastic Surgeon)

Sensation Changes After Liposuction and Tummy Tuck

It is very common to have changes in sensation with these procedures. These changes can include numbness and tingling, itching, and even a burning sensation. In most cases these symptoms are mild and they resolve during the healing process over a matter of weeks or months. (John K. Wakelin III, MD, FACS, Columbus Plastic Surgeon)

it is very normal that after a TT and Lipo you feel numbess of the abdomen or back. This is related with the inflammation. You can speed up recovery with massages, especially ultrasounds , but time will be your best ally to resolve this. (Derby Sang Caputo, MD, Dominican Republic Plastic Surgeon)

Burning sensation after tummy tuck and liposuction this is a normal sensation due to the healing process internally there is a scar tissue forming what you do not see but you certainly feel that if you press on your outer scar at week five you’ll also notice tenderness.

This is just internal manifestation of the healing process ibuprofen or Advil will relieve many of these symptoms to say take at this stage. (Mel T. Ortega, MD, Miami Plastic Surgeon)

It is very normal to have burning sensations after liposuction. It is typical for patients to feel better with their compression garments on for months after liposuction. It is safe to be without your garment, but it will help with the swelling, and you should wear it until the burning sensations are no longer a problem. (Gary Lawton, MD, FACS, San Antonio Plastic Surgeon)

Sensory Changes Are Expected Following Any Type of Surgery

Sensory changes are expected after any type of surgery. In the case of tummy tuck and liposuction, these can range from numbness and tingling to pain and burning sensation. These sensations are secondary to the effects the surgery has on the underlying nerves.

It is not uncommon to have these types of sensations for ten to twelve weeks after surgery. Normally, during this time there is continued improvement. As long as things are getting better, it is very likely that there will be a complete recovery.

Commonly, there is numbness in the lower part of the abdomen after a tummy tuck which may continue for one or two years after the procedure itself. (John J. Edney, MD, Omaha Plastic Surgeon)

Burning Sensation Normal Weeks After Lipo and Tummy Tuck

After abdominoplasty and liposuction a patient can experience a variety of sensations that can include burning. It is important to have these symptoms evaluated by your surgeon but they are usually normal. (Paul Vitenas, Jr., MD, Houston Plastic Surgeon)

Burning sensation = nerves trying to heal themselves

That burning sensation is from temporary nerve injury during your tummy tuck and liposuction. It will resolve with time. Massage will certainly help, as it softens scar tissue, reduces swelling in the tissues, and can help to desensitize sensitive skin. (Carmen Kavali, MD, Atlanta Plastic Surgeon)

Pain and Itching After Liposuction

Pain and itching after liposuction is common. Consult with your surgeon to determine if you have cellulitis or infection. Otherwise, this is best explained by hypersensitive nerves that will begin to equilibrate within weeks of your surgery. (Raffy Karamanoukian, MD, FACS, Los Angeles Plastic Surgeon)

Itching, burning, stretching or tight sensations are very common for a few months after the surgery, as scar tissue is forming and maturing under your skin.

Having said that, I do think that your best source of comfort when you are in doubt about what you are experiencing is your surgeon- he or she is going to be most familiar with the finer points of your surgical procedure and what you should be able to expect, as well as what should appropriately raise concerns- I would give them a call. (Armando Soto, MD, FACS, Orlando Plastic Surgeon)

During any body contouring procedure, sensory nerves can be damaged. Most likely, the pain you are feeling is temporary and will subside as the nerves regenerate. It’s really important to communicate with your doctor and staff about this issue and see what they recommend for you.

Ask them to show you how to do proper massage, that usually will help ease discomfort. I usually have my patients wear their garment for about 6-8 weeks after surgery for the best possible results.

I know its uncomfortable, but it really will help create the best sculpted look. (Stephen A. Goldstein, MD, Englewood Plastic Surgeon)

Although this is distressing, it is very common and usually indicates that the nerves responsible for giving you skin sensation, are repairing themselves, and sensation should soon return. Your doctor may be able to give you “desensitization” exercises to do at home to help make the the burning less troublesome. (Scott E. Kasden, MD, FACS, Dallas Plastic Surgeon)

I usually recommend compression garments for 3-6 weeks. Most patients want to “burn” the garment after three weeks. Changes in sensations are very common initially after surgery. This usually gets better over the first few months.

If ther eis not sugn of infection, fever drainage, etc.. then it should get better (Steven Wallach, MD, New York Plastic Surgeon)