But Dr. Smith cautions patients against believing liposuction is a weight-loss procedure. It’s not. Liposuction is a body-contouring procedure intended to only remove pockets of stubborn, unwanted fat that seem impervious to changes in diet and exercise. It’s not a procedure to remove large amounts of fat — removing too much fat can actually be dangerous. Still, most of us have a little extra fat here and there, and it would be nice to get rid of it.
Since tumescent liposuction is a popular procedure with Dr. Smith, here are some tips to make your recovery as easy as possible.
Wear your compression garments
Yes, we know compression garments aren’t exactly the stuff of Fashion Week in New York, but they are the most important part of your liposuction recovery. Compression garments reduce swelling and bruising and they help the skin adapt to its new slimmer contour. Dr. Smith will advise you on how long to wear your compression garments and you need to follow his instructions.
Rest
When liposuction first came to the U.S. in the 1980s, it was a pretty traumatic procedure on the body. Cannulas used were much larger than today, and they had to be moved back and forth under the skin quite violently to break loose the fat cells before suctioning them away.
Today’s smaller cannulas and tumescent solution make the tissue trauma and bruising far less than in the early days of the procedure. And while you may not feel overly tired after your procedure with Dr. Smith, your body will still have been stressed and needs rest. This means not only rest as in sleeping, but also means rest from things such as exercise. It may be tempting to “push” things to force your way through your recovery, but your body needs rest. Get the proper rest and avoid elevating your blood pressure and you will be back to your normal exercise routines and other activities as soon as possible.
Ice
No one likes putting ice compresses on our skin, but after liposuction compresses can really limit swelling and bruising. Patients get the best results when they regularly use ice compresses for the first 48 hours after their liposuction.
Diet
It could be your diet that created the need for liposuction in the first place. Regardless, now that the fat is gone, your goal should be to keep it that way by eating a healthier diet that matches calories ingested with those burned. More fruits and vegetables, less fast food and processed food. Specific to your recovery, you’ll need to avoid sodium, as this helps keep swelling to a minimum and it aids healing.
Follow your follow-ups
Dr. Smith will schedule follow-up appointments to keep an eye on your progress. Don’t blow these off. This is the time for us to make sure everything is progressing as it should.
Have a pocket of stubborn fat you’d like to bid adieu to? Call Dr. Smith at (843) 705-8940 to schedule a consultation for liposuction.
