How will I look and feel after surgery?

When the procedure is complete, you will be taken to a recovery area. For some patients, small drainage tubes will have been placed beneath the skin. Any discomfort you may feel can be controlled with medication prescribed by your plastic surgeon. An elastic bandage or specially designed compression garment may have been applied over the treated areas to control swelling and assist healing. Your plastic surgeon will tell you how long you must wear the garment and how you can remove it to bathe.

If only a small amount of liposuction has been done, you will be encouraged to get out of bed very shortly after the surgery. If multiple areas have been treated, you will probably remain in bed for a day or two, getting up to go to the bathroom and for meals.

Keep in mind that the speed or your recovery depends largely on the extent or your surgery. Although everyone heals at a different rate, you can expect that your recovery will follow this general time line:

Within the first week