How to Prepare for Your Liposuction Surgery

Liposuction is a popular type of cosmetic surgery in this country. In fact, of the 1.7 million cosmetic surgical procedures performed in 2015, liposuction was the second most popular, at 222,000 procedures, an increase of five percent from the previous year, according to the American Society of Plastics Surgeons.

Liposuction is a cosmetic procedure that removes stubborn fat that you cannot get rid of through regular diet and exercise. A plastic surgeon can perform this procedure on your hips, belly, thighs, buttocks, face, back or arms to improve their shape and remove excess pockets of fat. It can be performed in conjunction with other types of plastic surgeries, such as facelifts, breast reductions and tummy tucks.

How to Prepare
In preparation for liposuction surgery, you may be asked to do the following from your doctor:
• Obtain lab testing or a medical exam
• Take certain medications or adjust your current ones
• Stop smoking
• Stay away from aspirin, anti-inflammatory drugs and herbal supplements because they can increase bleeding

You may receive liposuction in the doctor’s office, a surgical facility, an ambulatory surgical center, medical center or a hospital. You should have a friend or family member drive you to and from the appointment. Ideally, you should have someone stay with you overnight that first night.

What to Expect
Liposuction is a day surgery, which means no overnight stay in a hospital is necessary and you are not admitted. You will have the surgery, stay for a bit to recover, then go home that same day. If you are having a very large amount of fat removed, you may want to get the procedure done in a hospital so you could stay overnight if you chose to.

Here are a few things to expect:
• Before beginning the procedure, your doctor will mark the areas of your body to be treated, perhaps taking photos for later before-and-after comparisons.
• You’ll then either be put under general anesthesia so you won’t be awake during the procedure, or under local anesthesia so you’ll be awake but won’t feel any pain. This is entirely up to your doctor and the complexity of the procedure.
• Once you return home, you will begin to notice bruising, swelling and soreness for two to three weeks.
• You may be asked to wear a compression garment for one to two months post-surgery to control the swelling.
• Your doctor will likely prescribe you some antibiotics to keep possible infection at bay.
• You should be able to return home within a few days and resume normal activity in two weeks. This varies by person, though, so ask your doctor and take it easy, assessing how you feel on a daily basis.

To learn more about liposuction by Dr. Bruce Kadz in Beverly Hills, contact us at 310-276-3662.