If you’re looking to remove some of the unwanted fat that has built up in hard-to-tackle areas like your stomach, buttocks, thighs, or upper arms, liposuction is likely your best option.
It is one of the safest and most commonly performed cosmetic surgeries within the U.S. and abroad and is well suited to various patients and a variety of areas of the body.
But how long does that surgery take?
Liposuction takes one to two hours
Assuming you need a single liposuction session—which isn’t uncommon—your treatment will take from 1 to 2 hours total. The procedure is also most commonly done as an out-patient procedure which means that you would come in for your liposuction procedure, have it done, and then return home the same day.
The total length of the procedure itself also depends on what area is being treated. Liposuction in a smaller area of the body such as the chin or neck could take as little as 30 minutes, while liposuction in larger areas such as the buttocks or abdomen could take around 60 minutes. But the longest that liposuction tends to take is between 1 and 2 hours.
Of course, since patients don’t simply walk in and “order a liposuction,” there are other lengths of time to take into account:
- Your consultation about liposuction could take 30 to 60 minutes and take place anywhere from 1 to 3 months in advance of your appointment.
- Office and admission and discharge protocols on either side of your actual liposuction surgery could add on a total of 30 minutes, making a 30-minute liposuction surgery take 45 minutes.
- Generally speaking, the amount of time you’ll want to allocate to your liposuction is the entire day. You’ll want to be off work from the start of the day or get off work several hours before your appointment, mainly if it is your first treatment, just to get yourself ready and have enough time to prepare yourself for your procedure.
If you plan to have liposuction in more than one area of your body, within some limitations, that may also be done during the same treatment session. Whether this is possible for a patient’s unique case would be determined at an in-person consultation.
Recovery after liposuction
Liposuction is a minimally invasive surgical procedure. While a special cannula is inserted through minute holes and used to suction the unwanted fatty tissue, no linear incisions or open cuts are made. Most patients should expect to return to work within 3 to 10 days and to be able to return to all of their routine activities within a few weeks—including driving and exercise. Depending on the area where you had liposuction, you will likely also wear a compression garment for 1 to 2 months.
For the first few days after your liposuction, expect moderate pain, soreness, and discomfort. Medication will be prescribed to make this brief recovery period more tolerable.
To speed up the healing process, patients should keep the treated area clean, wear loose clothing, refrain from exercise and extreme ranges of motion, be well hydrated, eat nourishing foods and take at least a light walk daily to aid in circulation.
For more information on liposuction, please contact us for a personal consultation.
