Liposuction
Conveniently located to serve Seattle and Bellevue
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ITEMS TO PURCHASE BEFORE SURGERY
- Colace (OTC) stool softener
- Tylenol/Acetaminophen
- Dial antibacterial bar soap
- Disposable absorbable mats “Chux Pads” and/or and Maxi Pads (optional)
- Arnica supplements (optional)
- Tight tank top or Cami (optional)
- Additional Compression Garment Stage-2 (optional)
BEFORE SURGERY
- You may bathe the night or morning before surgery and use Dial antimicrobial bar soap. Please do not wear any lotions, makeup, or products afterwards. Please remove jewelry and nail polish.
- Stop taking NSAIDs (Ibuprofen, Motrin, Aleve, Aspirin) and Vitamin E, fish oil, and Omega vitamins two weeks before your surgery as these may increase your risk of bruising and blood loss.
- Please fill your prescriptions and bring all medications with you to your surgery.
- Do not eat or drink anything 8 hours prior to your procedure.
- Set up your vehicle and home before surgery. Expect that you will be draining/leaking fluid afterwards for up to 72 hours. Make sure you cover your car (for the drive home), your bed, chairs/furniture with absorbent mats, towels, or plastic.
- Wear slip-on shoes and loose-fitting clothing. Clothing with front closures like zippers or buttons and sweatpants are preferred.
- Please make arrangements for time off of work (at least 1 week is recommended)
ACTIVITY
- Stay in the company of a responsible adult the first 24 hours. If needed, you may hire a nurse to stay with you during first 24 hours if you do not have an adult present. Make sure to coordinate this ahead of time to prevent delaying your procedure.
- Rest at home for a few days following surgery with legs elevated when sitting or lying. You may wear compression stockings to help with swelling
- Short walks are permitted and encouraged, after your procedure. Then after 1-week walks can increased as tolerated weekly.
- Flying is permitted after 7-10 days, if you’re traveling out of state make sure to clear your travel plans with Dr. Parikh first.
- Tennis, jogging, aerobics, and other vigorous sports may be resumed approximately 6-8 weeks after surgery.
- If you are unsure, please ask Dr. Parikh before assuming an activity is resumed.
Too Much Activity in the Immediate Post-Operative Period Will Result in Excessive Swelling and Possible Bleeding.
SHOWERING
- If you do not have drains in place, you may shower 72 hours after your surgery. You will be wearing a garment and/or abdominal binder home from the surgery. Please leave this garment on day and night for 72 hours after your surgery. After this, you may take the garment off when you shower. Wear this garment again after showering and limit the length of time you spend without wearing this item.
- Make sure to use caution if wearing and removing an abdominal binder as this can make you feel lightheaded.
- Do not remove your garment and/or abdominal binder while standing up. If possible, try to have someone present (in case of fainting).
- Do not shower in water temperatures too hot or cold. Try to keep a lukewarm temperature. Keep your time in the shower to a minimum as your body continues to adjust.
- The garment can be washed but should be air dried.
DIET
- Light meals are preferable, clear liquids advancing to a regular diet as tolerated within the first few days after surgery.
- Please continue to drink several glasses of water per day after surgery. Fluids are especially encouraged while taking pain medications.
- Avoid artificial sweeteners and spicy foods as these may cause bloating and gas.
- If you have persistent nausea stick to a bland diet until it subsides.
- The pain medicine may cause constipation. Remember to stay hydrated to help prevent constipation.
- Avoid drinking alcoholic beverages for 48 hours before surgery and 48 hours after surgery.
DRESSINGS/DRAINAGE
- You will have several small incisions, which may drain fluid for the first 24-48 hours. This fluid is usually blood tinged and will resolve quickly.
- You may want to lie or sit on plastic and/or towels to protect you’re your car seats, furniture, and bedding from the drainage.
- You may use maxi pads (these can be cut in half) or gauze pads over your small incision sites to help with the drainage. You may change these as needed when they become saturated.
- Clean the incisions with saline and cotton buds. Do not remove crusting on your own as this may lead to scarring.
MEDICATIONS
- The antibiotic should be taken until it is completed as prescribed.
- The pain medicine is a narcotic and should be taken as prescribed. Do not exceed more than 8 tablets per day. Remember to take Colace stool softener as soon as you begin taking pain medication to prevent constipation.
- Do not make any legal decisions while under the influence of an anesthetic or medication that may cause drowsiness.
- Do not drink alcohol, drive, or operate machinery while you are taking pain medication.
- The pain medicine can cause nausea and should be taken with food at each dose. Zofran (Ondansetron) can be taken to prevent or resolve nausea and vomiting. Remember to dissolve this tablet in your mouth without chewing (do not swallow).
- You may resume your regular medication after your surgery except for NSAIDs (wait at least 5 days post-op).
- If you take aspirin, Coumadin, or any other blood thinning medication, check with Dr. Parikh as to when you can resume
GARMENTS
- You will be wearing a garment and/or abdominal binder home from the surgery. Please leave this garment on day and night for 72 hours after your surgery. After this, you may take the garment off and shower if you do not have drains present.
- Do not remove your garment and/or abdominal binder while standing up. If possible, try to have someone present (in case of fainting).
- Do not shower in water temperatures too hot or cold. Try to keep a lukewarm temperature. Keep your time in the shower to a minimum as your body continues to adjust.
- You must wear the recommended support garments for a minimum of 4-6 weeks, day and night unless otherwise instructed.
- The garment can be washed but should be air dried.
SWELLING AND BRUISING
- You can expect to have a lot of swelling and bruising to last up to 6 weeks, depending on your surgery, sometimes it will look like you did not have the procedure done.
- At about 10-14 days you may start to urinate more frequently and see a dramatic decrease in the swelling. If you have drains in place at this time, you may notice an increase in drain output. This is normal.
- Swelling and bruising are normal parts of the recovery process and will begin to subside one or two weeks after surgery. It is expected that your clothes will be tight for the first week or two after surgery. Intermittent swelling may persist for several months and may move down into the ankles.
- You should see a general decrease in your size and shape approximately 1-2 weeks after surgery. Your size and shape will continue to decrease each week.
- Swelling following liposuction recedes rather slowly. It will take some time before the contour finalizes; it could take 6-9 months to see your result.
- Pain and aches are normal especially the first week; this will decrease as bruising subsides.
MASSAGE
- Starting 2 week after your procedure you should begin massaging all areas that we performed liposuction contouring on. This will be discussed further at your first follow-up appointment.
EXPECTATIONS
- It is normal to have an itching sensation and/or numbness in the areas that underwent liposuction. This gradually resolves over the next 3 months
- You may notice that your swelling varies from day to day. This is normal and subsides within 6 months.
- You may notice areas of firmness in the liposuctioned areas that develop after surgery. Make sure to wear your compression garments to prevent this. If you do have notable areas of firmness, massage these areas to smooth the texture. Be consistent and massage liposuctioned areas for 10 minutes, three times per day until firmness resolves. This may take several weeks to months to fully resolve.
Do NOT’s
- Do NOT apply icepacks or a heating pad to skin overlying the areas treated by liposuction.
- Do NOT apply hydrogen peroxide or plastic Band-Aids to incision sites. Liposuction incision sites heal faster and better without topical antibiotics.
- Do NOT soak in a bath, Jacuzzi, swimming pool, lake, pond, or the ocean for at least 14 days after surgery to minimize the risk of infection. If you’ve had an abdominoplasty, wait at least 4 weeks before you submerge your incision.
PLEASE CALL THE OFFICE IF YOU EXPERIENCE:
- A temperature greater than 101 degrees.
- A sudden increase in drainage, pain, or swelling at the incision site or the surrounding area.
- If you have persistent vomiting, have a pharmacy number so a script can be called in.
- Any questions regarding your care.
You may contact Dr. Parikh directly if you experience an urgent question or concern after hours.
