Very Important: If you have excessive bleeding or pain, call the office or the physician performing the procedure, day or night.

 

Activity: In most instances, you may resume normal non-strenuous activity within serveral hours of your procedure.

 

Dressing/Garments: Keep your dressings as clean and dry as possible. DO NOT REMOVE YOUR GARMENTS UNTIL INSTRUCTED TO DO SO.

 

Driving: Arrange for transportation to and from the office. You should not drive yourself after the procedure. After 24 hours, you may drive if you feel normal. If you feel light-headed DO NOT DRIVE.

 

Alcohol: Alcohol dilates the blood vessels and could increase post operative bleeding. Please do not drink if you are taking prescription pain pills.

 

Cigarettes: NO SMOKING. Nicotine reduces blood flow to the skin and can cause significant complications during healing.

 

Sun Exposure: If fresh scars are exposed to the sun they will tend to become darker and take longer to fade. Sunscreen can help, but take extra care as the area operated on is slightly "numb" and you might not feel the sunburn developing.

 

Post-Operative Visits: We need to examine you 2 days after surgery, 2 weeks after surgery, 2 months after surgery and 6 months after surgery.

 

Bruising and Swelling: Bruising and swelling are normal in the suctioned areas and usually increase slightly after the removal of any garment. The bruising will decrease over 3-4 weeks, but may last as long as 6 weeks. The swelling, on the other hand takes as long as 6 to 9 months to disappear completely, although you should see vast improvement within 1 month. The compression garment helps reduce the swelling, and the longer it is worn the more quickly the process will procede. Males and Females may experience significant swelling in the pubic region after lower abdominal lipo.

 

Numbness: Scattered numbness and/or hardness in the suctioned areas are normal and are part of the healing process. Please be patient. It will decrease within 3-4 weeks, but may take 6-9 months to go away completely.

 

Lumpiness: As you heal, the suctioned areas may feel "lumpy" and irregular. This, too decreases with time. Massaging those areas will help to hasten their softening.

 

Activities: Rest for the first 12 hours. If your work is sedentary, you may return whenever you feel up to it. If your work is strenuous, wait until your work activity does not cause. Wait at lease 1 month to begin aerobic exercise. You may however, walk immediately. If you experience more than mild swelling , you may be over doing it. This will not affect final results.

 

Massage: Therapeutic/Lymphatic Drainage massage is very helpful to speed the healing process. Massage may be done as often as every other day as hard as you can tolerate beginning 3 days after surgery.