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

Swelling is normal for any procedure. But each patient is different. Swelling usually takes six to twelve months to go down. (Tania Medina de Garcia, MD, Dominican Republic Plastic Surgeon)

Liposuction is a wonderful modality utilized by Board Certified Plastic Surgeons to help contour and refine those small little areas that are just not responding to diet and exercise. The outer thigh, or saddlebag area, as well as the flank and hip region are two of the most popular areas for liposuction.

During the consultation as well as pre-operative visit with my patients I discuss what to expect during the recovery process. Liposuction is what I describe as a game of patience. Your body is not symmetrical and in turn it will not heal symmetrically, so finding that some areas may soften with loss of swelling before other areas is very normal.

Small contour variations are normal to see within the first few weeks after surgery progressing and slowly smoothing out over the next 3 months. Typically at 6 months is where you will find the last minimal residual swelling diminished.

Numbness is very common with this type of procedure as well. In rare cases it is possible for numbness to linger up to 2-3 months before nerve regeneration begins. (Ronald Downs, MD, FACS, South Bend Plastic Surgeon)

Although each individual varies especially depending on the technique, surgeon and healing tendencies, I normally tell patients that the 3 month mark is a good time to see results and most of the swelling should be gone by then. (Payman Danielpour, MD, FACS, Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon)

General guidelines for liposuction usually resolve 70-80% in 6 weeks but take 6 months for all swelling, bumps, and lumps to resolve. Whatever you are left with at 6 months is probably permanent.

The numbness after liposuction is normal and usually resolves on the same time scale as the swelling. (Jay Burns, MD, Dallas Plastic Surgeon)

Liposuction and post operative swelling

Liposuction is a wonderful treatment for those small little areas that are not responding to diet and exercise. I typically will have my patients in a compression garment 24 hours a day 7 days a week for 2 weeks, only removing to shower.

The second 2 weeks I request my patients to wear their compression garments 12 hours a day. I am very careful to discuss swelling with regard to liposuction as it can take time to see your final results.

I will always tell my patients that within the first few days after surgery it may look as though nothing was done at all or even be a little ‘puffy’ with swelling starting to subside around day 5-7.

Normally by 4 weeks post-operative I will liberate the use of the compression garment allowing for another 8 weeks before post-operative photos are taken. When post-operative photos are taken at 3 months following surgery it is not uncommon to still have a minimal amount of swelling, 5-8%, still present which will subside over the next few months.

It is not uncommon during the healing process as well to find that certain areas may soften with the swelling diminishing at different rates over other areas. This is very common as our bodies are not symmetrical and will not heal symmetrically either. (Patrick Viscardi, MD, South Bend Plastic Surgeon)

Swelling is normal for the first six months after liposuction.

At 6 weeks post-op, it’s normal to retain some swelling. Swelling after liposuction can take up to 6 months to completely subside. The lumps in treatment areas are also common following liposuction, and should go away by 6 months post-op.

These lumps are caused by body storing disproportionate amounts of protein as it adjusts to the new level of fat concentration. Massaging the area can help the bumps smooth out faster.(Lee B. Daniel, MD, Eugene Plastic Surgeon)

It may take as long as 3-6 months for you to see the final results of your liposuction procedure. But significant asymmetries should be evaluated by your plastic surgeon even if they are “normal”. Clinically insignificant hematomas can presents as thin pancake like areas that feel like silly putty under the skin.

These areas will resolve with time and massage. Any pockets of fluid under the skin that can be felt should be evaluated to see if aspiration of a seroma is indicated. The numbness will almost certainly resolve with just time. (Wm. Todd Stoeckel, MD, Raleigh-Durham Plastic Surgeon)

Liposuction Swelling Typically 2-6 Months

Swelling, numbness, and lumpiness are all normal experiences to have post liposuction. The majority of swelling with Liposuction happens in the first 2 months post procedure. Minor swelling can last up to 6 months, but most will be resolved prior to that.

The numbness will get better and the lumps will soften with time. It could be some minor scar tissue from the procedure. The movement in saddle bag region is also likely an accumulation of fluid from surgery. (Jeffrey W. Hall, MD, Austin Plastic Surgeon)

Liposuction Swelling – How Long Until It Goes Down?

Swelling and some bruising is normal following liposuction. The swelling and bruising should improve over the first few weeks. At 3 months you will be approximately 70% of your final results, at 4 months about 80% , Final results typically take about 6 months Be patient! (Arthur M. Cambeiro, MD, Las Vegas Plastic Surgeon)

Contour improvement from liposuction will be apparent at 48 hours when the garment is first removed. For the next several days, there will actually be some increase in swelling, partly because there is no longer a firm compression garment, and partly because this is the nature of how the remaining fatty tissue recovers from liposuction.

The vast majority of swelling will be resolved by about 1 month following the procedure, with all swelling generally gone by 3-4 months following the procedure. Liposuction of low areas such as the calves may take up to 6 months for all swelling to resolve.

Similarly, secondary or revisional liposuction may be swollen for up to 6 months. Irregular contour and numbness is normal six weeks after liposuction and will resolve itself over the course of a few months. (David P. Rapaport, MD, FACS, Manhattan Plastic Surgeon)

Liposuction recovery and swelling can last more than 6 weeks. I usually advise my patients to wear compressive garments at least for that duration to minimize downtime and to maximize skin adhesion and uniform contour. (Hani Sinno, MD, Montreal Plastic Surgeon)

Swelling after liposuction can vary from patient to patient, but as a general guideline, I tell my patients the following. First, that they expect swelling to be maximal between 2-3 weeks at which time it will start to subside.

By week 8, after there procedure, they can expect to see most of the swelling gone first thing in the morning, but that they will swell throughout the day. By 16 weeks, all but the subtlest of swelling has disappeared.

If patients have had previous liposuction in the area being operated on, and depending how much liposuction they had in that area in the first procedure, they can expect up to a doubling of each of the aforementioned recovery periods.

A majority of the numbness is usually gone after 4 months. (John Millard, MD, Denver Plastic Surgeon)

The results of liposuction are somewhat time dependent. You may see improvement immediately, but it typically takes about 3 months to see close to how things are going to look once the healing process is done.

Most of the significant swelling is in the first 2 weeks. After 3 months you will likely continue to see more subtle changes over the next 3-6 months or so. (Hampton Alexander Howell, MD, Winston Salem Plastic Surgeon)