Patient Information

Office Hours

For general information or to schedule an appointment, please call us at (631) 499-1831 or (718) 723-0398.

Monday - Friday (10am - 6pm)
Saturday - (10am - 4pm)

Pre/Post-Operative Tumescent Liposuction Instructions

What To Expect On The Day of Tumescent Liposuction

Upon arriving at our office on the day of your procedure, you will be greeted by our nurses and escorted to an exam room, where you will be asked to change into a surgical gown. You should have no makeup or body lotion on, and should remove all jewelry prior to coming to the office. After one last trip to the bathroom, pre-operative photographs will be taken of the areas on your body that are to be treated with liposuction, after they are marked with a felt tipped pen. Before starting the procedure, you will have time to speak with your doctor and nurse about any questions or concerns you may have.

The tumescent liposuction procedure is then initiated by injecting large volumes of dilute anesthetic solution directly into fatty deposits, which helps shrinks blood vessels and minimizes blood loss. Because you will be awake during the procedure, you will be able to sit or stand, allowing the doctor to check your progress in achieving the desired results.

Recovery From Tumescent Liposuction

After the liposuction procedure, while you are still slightly sedated and numbed, absorbent pads will be placed over the incisions, and the post-op liposuction garments will be pulled on. These garments help absorb the heavy amount of drainage that is often experienced during the first two days. The drainage will gradually subside over the next 24 to 36 hours. Although the tumescent technique minimizes swelling and bruising, it can still be rather messy at times. It is good to be prepared with some towels and sheets on your bed as well as on the car ride home. Patients should bring comfortable clothes for their procedure.

The tumescent technique minimizes post operative discomfort. Because the residual local anesthesia (lidocaine) can last from 8 to 36 hours, plain Tylenol or Tylenol with codeine is often sufficient to treat post-operative discomfort. With the tumescent technique, there is no postsurgical nausea, nor the unpleasant feeling of a "hangover" usually associated with general anesthesia. Most patients are alert and able to eat a regular diet. You are encouraged to walk around and to shower on the evening after surgery. Most patients may return to work in one to three days after the procedure, and resume physical exercise within one week.

Postoperative Healing

After tumescent liposuction, patients usually experience mild soreness, swelling, bruising and lumpy firmness. A mild feeling of numbness may persist for up to four months. Most patients can actually see improvement of their silhouette within several days after the procedure. However, since postsurgical swelling may take a while to subside, the final results of liposuction usually require 12 to 20 weeks to appear.

Risks of Liposuction

Although any kind of surgery involves the risks of infection, bleeding, or serious injury, tumescent liposuction has a proven safety record. Since general anesthesia is not required for this procedure, the risk for complication is significantly reduced. A recent study involving over 20,000 patients who had tumescent liposuction revealed no serious complications, no serious infection, no hospitalizations, no blood transfusions, and no deaths from this procedure.

The greatest risks of liposuction are those associated with general anesthesia. By eliminating general anesthesia, these risks are dramatically reduced. Patients can further minimize the risk of complications by informing their doctor of any medications taken regularly or occasionally, including herbal remedies.

Tumescent liposuction using laser (SmartLipo™) and small diameter cannulas are the least likely to cause significant postsurgical irregularities of the skin. By enlarging the fatty compartment, the tumescent technique allows for a more accurate removal of fat, with a lower risk of the cannula approaching the skin and causing rippling or other complications. If skin irregularities do occur, additional treatment can often improve this appearance.

Liposuction and Cellulite

Liposuction of the thighs, while improving the body's silhouette, does not necessarily eliminate the subtle "puckering" of the skin, known as cellulite. Cellulite results from the pull of fibrous tissue that connects skin to the underlying muscle. While tumescent liposuction may reduce the degree of cellulite (especially with laser liposuction like SmartLipo™), it is unlikely to eliminate it. However, liposuction does not worsen cellulite.

Recent clinical studies have shown longer lasting improvement of cellulite by laser treatment.

Liposuction and Obesity

Liposuction is not an appropriate treatment for obesity. Liposuction is not a substitute for a diet, good nutrition, and regular exercise. Obese patients may be good candidates for limited liposuction if goal is simply to improve the shape of certain limited areas of the body.

Realistic Expectations

Although the results of liposuction are often quite spectacular, it is not realistic to expect perfection. It is impossible to guarantee the precise amount of improvement that will result from liposuction. Patients should have realistic expectations. Some patients may seek additional treatment in order to achieve their desired results.

Longevity of Results

The fat cells that are removed during the liposuction procedure do not grow back. If the patient later gains or loses weight, the change tends to be distributed proportionally over their entire body. As the patient ages, some changes may be more noticeable, but the patient's appearance is generally more appealing than if they had never had liposuction at all.