Neck Liposuction Post Operative Beverly Hills | Los Angeles

NIGHT AFTER SURGERY

Temporary bruising, swelling and numbness are common the first night after surgery. You may need to go to the bathroom frequently during the night because of the IV fluids you were given during your surgery. Drink a lot of fluids in order to keep up with this fluid loss. As your body begins to balance itself out, it will rid itself of this extra “water weight and everything will return back to normal. You should leave all of your bandages intact overnight.

ONE DAY AFTER SURGERY

The next morning following your surgery, you will return to Dr Motykie’s office for your first post-operative visit. You should leave all bandages and dressings intact overnight and until you reach the office the following morning. Upon arrival to the office you will be escorted to a private examination room where your dressings will be changed and your operative sites will be evaluated. After your examination, you will be placed back into your neck compression wrap and you will be allowed to return back to your home. All of your questions will be answered and you will be given instructions for the following week.

Diet: Mostly patients start with a liquid diet the night after surgery. Usually by the next day most patients are back to a normal diet.
Medications: Some swelling, bruising and discomfort are normal immediately following surgery and it is typically controlled with your prescription pain medication. Do not take any other pain medication including Tylenol, aspirin or ibuprofen in combination with your pain medications unless you are given permission by Dr Motykie. A combination of Arnica Montana and Bromelain are encouraged after surgery in order to promote your healing process.
Surgical Garments: A fitted neck compression wrap is worn for the majority of the first week following your surgery and then it is slowly weaned out of use during your second week after surgery.
Bathing: Showering and bathing are permitted the very next day after surgery which requires removal of your compression garments.
Activity: Light activity is allowed and encouraged including moving about your house and going for walks outside in order to aid the circulation in your lower extremities. However, no heavy lifting or strenuous activity should be attempted during your first week of recovery. You can usually return to a desk-type job within 72 hours, physical exercise generally can be resumed three weeks after surgery.

You may feel tired and sore for several days following the surgery. Your neck will be swollen and tender. The sensation/feeling in the skin may also be diminished the immediate post-operative period and may take several months to return to normal. Strenuous activity will be restricted for the first few weeks after surgery. You will most likely be able to return to work within a few days depending on your job. Patients may shower the next day after surgery with care taken to not soak the sticky tapes over the insertion site. Aerobic and impact cardio exercise should be avoided for one to two weeks post-operatively. Weight lifting should be avoided for a few weeks post-operatively. The resumption of and amount of physical /athletic activity should be guided by the level of patient discomfort with “pain” being the ultimate guide.

ONE WEEK AFTER SURGERY

For the first week after surgery, the results of your surgery will typically be obscured by swelling and bruising at one week after surgery. Any discomfort you feel can be relieved with your prescribed medications but most patients say that a neck liposuction is almost “painless.” Some people can return to work after a few days and some after one week. Most patients can drive their vehicles within a few days after surgery, but plan on having someone drive you to your first few post-operative visits anyway. In regards to an exercise program, use common sense and use pain as your guide; if it hurts, simply don’t do it! The majority of patients are allowed to return to light, low impact cardiovascular exercise after the first week of recovery. You can expect some loss of feeling in your neck caused by the swelling after surgery. This numbness usually fades away as the swelling subsides over the several weeks or so.

Dressings: During this appointment, the surgical tapes placed during your surgery will be removed and any non-dissolvable sutures will be removed. You should apply an antibiotic ointment (Bacitracin and/or Neosporin) to the incision line once a day.
Surgical Garments: You will be weaned out of your neck compression wrap at one week.
Medications: Some continued swelling, bruising and discomfort are normal and they are typically controlled with your prescription pain medication. Arnica Montana and Bromelain may be continued for another week in order to promote your healing process.
Bathing: You may bath and shower freely during the second week after surgery.
Activity: Exercise of some sort is very important, even if it is just walking around your house. Having said this, rest is also important to the healing process and heavy lifting and strenuous activity are still restricted during the first month after surgery. You will be able to return to more strenuous exercise/heavy lifting at 3-4 weeks after surgery.

ONE MONTH AFTER SURGERY

You should already be back into your normal rhythm at work. Exercise and workout routines may begin at this point in your recovery process with pain as your ultimate guide. Any activity that causes discomfort and/or pain needs to be avoided until further along in your recovery process. When you return to the activity, start at half speed and increase to your normal routine as long as you do not feel any pain during and/or the day after your workout. Although exercising will not adversely affect your end result, it may temporarily cause more swelling immediately after the exercise that will subside over the next few hours. The majority of my breast lift patients are back to their regular workout routine within 4-6 weeks after their surgery. During this period, decreased sensation of the neck skin is normal and only temporary. Over the next several months many of the benefits of your surgery will begin to materialize and you will begin to enjoy the transformation you have received from your neck liposuction.

LONG TERM RESULTS

All patients vary in their ability and speed to recovery after surgery but most commonly you can expect the final result from surgery to be evident at six months after surgery. By this point in time, many people will begin to ask you if you have lost weight and they may begin to comment that you look younger and well-rested. Liposuction is never intended to replace a healthy diet and exercise program. Following good habits after surgery will only serve to make your final results after surgery all the more impressive and long-lasting.

To find out more about neck liposuction please contact us at 310-246-2355