Liposuction - The Recovery And Healing Period

Liposuction is a procedure that many surgeons consider as less invasive compared to other surgeries. In actual truth it is, since small incisions are made on the skin to allow the insertion of the cannula. It is not less damaging, though, because the movement of the cannula can affect the dermis and the tissues under it. The procedure is performed on men and women who have an excessive amount of body fat in certain areas of the body. The idea of the procedure is to insert a small tube-like instrument, called a cannula, into an incision through the dermis. With the cannula inside the body, the doctor moves it with a forward and backwards rhythmic motion. The cannula is attached to a machine that sucks up loosened fat from the area.

The doctor usually assesses the patient before any type of surgery is to be scheduled. This assessment is likely to include tests to see how healthy the prospective patient is. Blood tests and other screenings may be asked by the doctor. The importance of these tests lies in the candidacy of the patient in terms of how suitable he or she is for liposuction. There are factors that can hinder or postpone the operation.

Recovery:
Once the procedure is finished, the patient is brought to a recovery room where she rests to recover from the operation and the anesthetic. When she is fit to be discharged from the hospital or clinic, a companion should drive her home to begin recovery. Patients who have just come from surgery are not fit to drive themselves home. Some doctors prefer their patients to stay overnight in the hospital to make sure nothing goes wrong while others leave strict instructions regarding the first 24 hours after the liposuction.

Compression garments help a lot when it comes to healing and recovery. These garments keep the skin and tissue from getting damaged and moved around too much. The patient wears these in the area in which she has undergone the surgery. Recovery is shorter and more comfortable with the help of these garments. A cold compress can also help to ease the discomfort and soreness from the operation. It is important to follow the prescription and recommendations of the doctor regarding the medications to take during recovery.

These medicines can prevent an inflammation, an infection and other complications that can land the patient back in the operating table or the hospital bed. The swelling around the area can make the results appear unsatisfactory initially. It is important to understand that the desired results ultimately make their appearance a week or two after the operation is made. Some patients believe that the results are instantaneous and while there is a reduction of sorts right after the liposuction, the real figure comes out a few weeks after.

Eating the right foods and avoiding anything that may aggravate the situation is important. Fruits and vegetables help the body recover faster and heal the tissues, which may have been damaged during liposuction.