The recovery period varies depending upon:
1. The site(s) and extent of the procedure you will undergo.
2. What you mean by “recovery”. Working from home at a PC is possible the next day.
However, it may take several days to 2 weeks before you are comfortable climbing in
and out of a car all day as a rep.
3. Your individual body recovery pattern. We have been amazed at how this varies from
one person to the next.
Recovery from liposculpture plus mini tummy tuck is quicker than from a Caesarean
Section because there is no cutting of muscle. You will have drain tubing extending from
the mini tummy tuck site to a container for a few days: this can be tucked away in your
clothing to not be visible. It is a little uncomfortable and patients usually feel more
mobile once it is out.
Some are able to get around and conduct meaningful work at home within a day or so
after a procedure. Others, after a large liposculpture involving several areas, have
needed to take from 7 to even 10 days off their usual work. As already stated, it has
proved to be very difficult to predict the kind of recovery you will have; there is large
inter-individual variation.
Should you require it, we will provide a sick note with the stated reason being “medical
procedure”; no one at work needs to know what you had done. You have the legal right
to medical confidentiality.

Pain is not usually an issue if you take the post-op medication as prescribed. However,
be forewarned that should you unwisely choose to omit certain components of it, you
will very likely suffer unnecessary painful discomfort.

Feeling generally weak and “out of it” can last from a day or so to up to say 10 days in
the very occasional case; hugely individual.

Tissue swelling due to excess fluid retention and natural tissue injury reaction at the sites
of the operation is to be expected from immediately postop. There is again quite
substantial individual variation, with some patients retaining very little fluid, whilst others
carry an excess of several liters for several days to weeks. This excess fluid will mask your
results; don’t allow this to disappoint you – it will eventually clear. It can also cause the
target areas to remain abnormally firm/hard. This is why the first meaningful result
milestone of the operated areas is often only at 6 weeks post-op. Some areas like the
knees, upper back, and sacrum can take several months to fully recover. The mantra for
liposculpture results to emerge as the swelling settles is ......“hurry up and wait”. The
second meaningful milestone is usually at 3 months; the final results are usually seen at
6 months. However, ankles that have been liposuctioned may only appear optimal at a
year later.

Only some experience this to any appreciable extent.
It is due to the liposuction minor injury to the sensory nerves that run under the skin in
the targeted fat. It has always recovered fully. Should the numbness be so unpleasant that it
even keeps you awake at night there is helpful medication that can be prescribed. In the
many scores of liposculpture procedures that we have performed, only one patient
required such numbness medication temporarily till she recovered fully.

You will need to wear compression garments for up to 6 weeks postop. These can be
hidden under clothing; the neck/chin binder can even be partially hidden under a scarf.
You will need to consider whether you should perhaps rather have the procedure done
in winter when it will be easier to wear such garments under your clothing.

Frankly, that’s your call. You can start walking the very next day, even running just as soon
as you feel up to it; in fact, the sooner the better.
Cycling should wait a few days till you are not at all groggy or even slightly dizzy, to
avoid unnecessary crashes.
You are strongly advised to only swim only once the wounds have sealed off with regrown
skin and that is usually by 2 weeks. Otherwise, you risk potentially serious
infection due to bacteria being able to enter via the disrupted skin barrier of your
wounds.
Abdominal exercises after a mini tummy-tuck: since the underlying muscles have not
been operated on, you can start with these after 2 weeks; this will allow enough time for
the tummy tuck incision to have knitted sufficiently to not split open.

Ideally for at least 6 weeks postop. But don’t stress if you are not able. If you get below
your breakeven weight by 6 weeks you will probably get the same final result even if you
haven’t been the most conscientious garment wearer.
Of the two, getting below your breakeven weight is more important in the final outcome
than is fastidious garment wearing.
However, the areas that seem especially to do better with conscientious postop garment
wearing are those mentioned in point 3 of the “aims” above.

No doubt the results depend hugely on the skill and time that the surgeon has put into
your procedure.
However, they also depend on your behaviour and your body’s structure and response.
So, don’t be too quick to conclude that your surgeon did a suboptimal job.
Here are some things to bear in mind;
The concept of your “break-even weight”; This is your weight calculated by subtracting
the net amount of fat removed (total fat removed = harvested fat volume minus the
amount put back, if fat transfer is performed) from your pre-op weight. We will do the
calculation immediately at the end of the procedure and give you your figure – etch it
into your memory like your birth date. Each litre of fat removed or fluid retained weighs
approx 1kg.
Every kg above your breakeven weight represents either excess fluid or new fat
accumulation or a combination of both (plus new muscle mass if you take up serious
exercise after the procedure).
Right from the outset postop you will be several kilograms above your breakeven
weight due to the several litres of fluid that were infiltrated into your fatty tissue as part
of the tumescent anaesthetic technique.
Your body will immediately start getting rid of that excess fluid: but due to the tissue
disruption plus capillary blood vessel and lymphatic damage at the target sites of
liposuction, it will not initially be able to complete the process.
You can, in a good way, influence a little the amount of excess fluid accumulation (by
wearing your compression garment, taking the diuretic medication we may prescribe,
being careful not to consume too much salt and fluid, and going for lymphatic drainage
treatments 2 to 3 times per week once the tenderness has subsided sufficiently).
However, it is mostly out of your direct control.
Full recovery from the excessive target site fluid accumulation must await the
spontaneous repair of the capillaries and lymphatics plus resolution of the tissue
damage clean-up operations that are performed naturally by your immune system. This
occurs gradually over time allowing for the abnormal fluid accumulation to
progressively clear up; you will need to” hurry up and wait” ...... and realise that recovery
rates differ hugely from person to person and from one body area to another.
As long as you progress back down toward and then remain below your breakeven
weight, you will see your results gradually emerge and persist as the tissue swelling and
fluid retention settle.

The commonest two reasons for disappointment are:

1. Not allowing enough time for the tissue swelling to settle: “hurry up and wait” for
those results. Go back to question 1 “What is the expected recovery period? – tissue
swelling”

2. Slacking off on eating and exercise discipline, and so allowing your body fat to
increase. Don’t blame all the weight in excess of your breakeven weight on fluid
retention. You may be accumulating more fat whilst the excess tissue fluid is
dissipating; your postop weight then just stays stubbornly above the breakeven
weight and your eating habits are to blame. While exercise is important, remember
that “you can’t exercise away a bad diet”.

So do not negatively judge your surgeon and your results until at least 2 criteria have
been met:

1. At least 6 weeks MUST have elapsed since your procedure and ...
2. You MUST be below your breakeven weight.

That is the main reason why it is advisable before the liposculpture procedure to have
consulted a professional dietician and been given ongoing help to take
control of your body fat content/percentage. Sadly, some mistakenly conclude that the
surgeon has done all the hard work and now they can eat whatever takes their fancy.
Rather view it that the surgeon has kick-started you into a lifestyle of eating and exercise
discipline.
The most stunning results in slightly to moderately overweight patients are usually seen
6 months postop with the patient having dropped a few kg below her breakeven
weight due to good eating and exercise habits; remember, ankles can take a year to
fully recover.
So important is this matter of having developed good weight control habits PRIOR to a
liposculpture procedure that for those who are excessively overweight we will not
undertake a procedure until you have reached a certain target weight; there is often
even a price discount once you have.
Remember, as a liposculpture artist and enthusiast, our doc wants you to get a beautiful
result. He is not going to allow sloppy eating habits to ruin a good outcome.
For those who are quite slim, and for whom liposuction is really just about removing
stubborn bulges, reaching and staying below the breakeven weight is usually a minor
issue and quite easily attained. However any dietary indiscretion will lead to fat gain
somewhere, and this can mar the final result. So, if you seem unhappy at say 6 weeks,
recheck your weight.

Liposuction is not a direct weight loss treatment; only a method of reshaping your
body. The maximum weight that can safely be removed at a single treatment session is 4
to 5 kg (equivalent to 4 to 5 litres of fat).
That can give you a good result if you are wanting to trim off say some saddlebags or
love-handles from the hips (or flatten large male breasts) to give you a more attractive
outline; the better shape may then motivate you to do the necessary dieting and
exercise to slim down. So indirectly it can act as a weight loss procedure; but it can’t
relieve you of the hard graft of exercise and proper diet to sort out an overweight
problem.
Here is an example of a lady who has been dieting for years and just couldn’t slim down.
We performed a liposculpture for her and this was the turning point; but she has still
needed to continue with dieting and exercise :
Go to this YouTube video; https://youtu.be/okGxvz0MRjI
(This is a private YouTube setting so you will need to open your
YouTube account to view it.)
If weight loss by the scale is your primary goal, you will be disappointed to pay say R29
000.00 to have 4 to 5 kg removed, only to later find that you have eaten all the weight
back within a few months. So, it is better to first institute good dietary and exercise
habits, prove to yourself that you have ingrained those good new habits by losing a few
kilograms, and then only do a lipo reshaping procedure.
Any fat that you eat back will not all return to the liposuctioned areas, but it has to go
somewhere. So, if you have not already developed the correct eating and exercise
patterns, you will find that non-suctioned areas like the arms or legs now become fatter
and unattractive and the liposuctioned areas are also no longer are as smooth and
shapely.
If you are struggling with marked obesity and feel that diet and exercise just won't get
you to your goal, then research "bariatric surgery". There are several very good centres
in SA that offer this form of treatment. Patients have lost several tens of kg's following
this and then usually require, not liposuction, but surgery to remove excess loose skin
folds. We do not offer either Bariatric surgery or removal of excess skin folds (except the
small to moderate sized lower tummy apron that we can remove at the same time as
anterior abdominal liposuction – this procedure is called a “mini tummy-tuck”).

Here are the steps and stages that need to be completed:

1. An Aesthetic assessment.
Our doc needs to figure out whether and how you can be helped with your body
shape concern. Factors to consider are your age, BMI (body mass index calculated
from your weight and height), skin quality and tone (hanging loose skin is not good
unless just below the umbilicus) and the body area concerned. This assessment is
best carried out in person. So call us on 041 374 7852 (the RSA international code is
+27) to make a “Liposculpture assessment” appointment; the consultation cost is a
once –off R750.00. Alternatively, you can mail some pictures for a feasibility comment
and rough procedure cost quote. These will be dealt with confidentiality. This can be
helpful if you are from out of town or extremely shy (you need never feel
embarrassed – we will never be-little your concerns). The better the quality of the
pics, the more accurate can be the assessment. Ultimately though, you will require
the face to face Aesthetic assessment. The pricing quote is valid for 6 months.

2. A medical fitness assessment.
We need to be sure that you are a safe candidate for liposculpture under tumescent
local anaesthesia and sedation. This involves your completing a medical
questionnaire, undergoing a medical physical exam (of your heart, Blood pressure,
lungs etc), ECG, finger prick blood, plus urine tests at our Clinic. You must also
undergo laboratory blood tests to check blood counts, iron status, kidney, liver and
clotting function tests and possibly an HIV test. If you are from out of town, then
these can all be done by your usual house doctor (or a local GP) and at a local
medical laboratory. Should you choose to do this, we will mail you the needed forms
and lab request. We must receive all this back to be able to give you the go-ahead to
proceed before you come to PE; this is very important or you run the risk of making
an unnecessary trip to PE only to be turned back as an unfit liposculpture candidate.
Minor problems like an element of iron deficiency or low potassium level can be
timeously identified and corrected before you come.

3. Post-op follow-up arrangements.
You will need to be in PE from at least the afternoon before the procedure and have
made an appointment for me to do your pre-op markings then too. You will need to
remain in PE for at least 6 days after a fat transfer and/or mini-tummy tuck procedure
so we can keep a close eye on your recovery. In the case of simple liposuction this
postop surveillance can be shortened to 2 days. There is no additional charge for
post-op visits and care. The first night after a larger procedure must be spent in our
recovery facility at our doc’s home under his oversight. Even if you live in PE this is
mandatory. This will need to be discussed at the first consultation or prior to your
arriving if you are from out of town. If you are from out of town and require
accommodation you can arrange to spend part or all of the time there too. The
pricing is very affordable. This accommodation can be arranged with Chelsi at
info@tarynlaineclinic.co.za.