POSTOPERATIVE INSTRUCTIONS FOR LIPOSUCTION
Going home: You should not drive yourself home nor drive for 24 hours after surgery. It is recommended that another adult be home with you on the day of surgery, especially if you have children.
Diet: You may resume your usual diet immediately. Avoid alcoholic beverages for 48 hours after surgery.
Pain relief: Take two Aleve every 8 hours or three Advil every 5 hours, starting about five hours from the end of surgery. For 48 hours after surgery take one of these medications on a schedule, without waiting for pain.
Antibiotic: Continue antibiotics as directed until the prescription is finished. This means you will take at least one more dose the day of surgery.
Activities: Quiet rest is recommended immediately after surgery. Do not drive, operate hazardous machinery, nor make any important personal decisions for 24 hours after surgery. Later in the day or evening you are welcome to take a short walk if desired. You may carefully resume exercise and vigorous physical activity four days after surgery, but start slowly and listen to your body.
Post-operative garments: After tumescent liposuction special garments are worn to hold the absorbent pads in place and to provide mild compression that encourages the drainage of the blood-tinged anesthetic solution. (Blood-tinged or even frankly bloody drainage is normal unless it has so much blood in it that it clots). When the garments are first removed to take a shower, you may experience a brief sensation of dizziness. It is the result of rapid decompression of the legs as the garments are initially removed. Sit on a towel on the floor when removing the compression garment so that you may quickly lie down if you feel faint. The post-operative garments should be worn until 2 days after all the drainage has stopped. For up to several months after abdominal liposuction you should wear loose underwear of varying styles to avoid a permanent dent from the waistband. Patients who have had skin removal (mini-tummy tuck) should wear a compression garment for at least part of each day until the area above the incision softens (several months).
Managing drainage: You should expect a large volume of blood-tinged anesthetic solution to drain from the small incisions during the first 24 to 48 hours following tumescent liposuction. The drainage is a good thing in that it prevents the bruising and swelling that would occur if the fluids could not escape. During the first 48 hours you will need to sit or lie on towels and the quantity of drainage may be such that you will need to place plastic under the towels (we will give you a plastic sheet; you can also use dry cleaning bags).
Wound care and bathing: Keep the incisions clean. Shower once or twice daily. First wash your hands, then wash the incisions gently. Pat them dry with a clean towel and apply an absorbent dressing to those which are still draining. Incisions which have finished draining do not need dressings nor even bandaids. Call our office if you notice signs of infection such as fever over 100.0 degrees, foul smelling drainage, or localized redness, swelling, and pain.
DO NOT apply ice packs or a heating pad to any area.
DO NOT apply hydrogen peroxide or plastic bandaids to the incisions.
DO NOT soak in a bath, Jacuzzi, swimming pool or the ocean for 7 days.
Stop iron-containing vitamins until the bruising and discoloration is gone. This will facilitate pick-up of the iron from the breakdown of blood in the bruised areas.
Common side effects: Flushing of the face, neck and upper chest may occur after liposuction surgery and usually lasts for a day or two. Slight temperature elevation (under 100.0 degrees) is a normal part of the body’s reaction to surgical trauma for 48 hours or so. Discomfort and soreness is worst the second day after surgery, then improves. Bruising may occur, especially in the pubic area and down the front of the legs following abdominal liposuction. Swelling of the labia may occur in women, or of the penis and scrotum in men, following abdominal liposuction. Itching often occurs as bruising turns yellow, starting about four days after surgery. If necessary, you may take Benadryl 25 mg every 4 to 6 hours (generic ok), but bear in mind that a recent study shows driving is impaired for 24 hours after a single dose of Benadryl. Menstrual irregularities may occur with liposuction as with any other significant surgery.
A follow-up appointment should be made for eight weeks after surgery. (If you have an incision, you need to be seen monthly for 4 months). Before then you should call if you have a question, or come in (call first) if you think something doesn’t look right.