After liposuction (lipo) surgery, you will likely experience some fluid drainage from the incisions. To control swelling and to help your skin better fit its new contours, you may be fitted with a snug elastic garment to wear over the treated area for a few weeks. For some patients here in Chicago liposuction may also entail the prescription of antibiotics to prevent infection. Don’t expect to look or feel great right after surgery. Even though the newer techniques are believed to reduce some post-liposuction discomforts, you may still experience some pain, swelling, bleeding, and temporary numbness. Lipo pain can be controlled with medications prescribed by our surgeon, though you may still feel stiff and sore for a few days. Healing after a liposuction surgery is a gradual process. Our liposuction surgeon will probably tell you to start walking around as soon as possible to reduce swelling and to help prevent blood clots from forming in your legs. You will begin to feel better after about a week, and you should be back at work within a few days following your liposuction surgery. The stitches are removed in our Chicago institute or dissolve on their own within the first week. Activity that is more strenuous should be avoided for about a month as your body continues to heal. Although most of the bruising and swelling usually disappears within three weeks, some swelling may remain for several months. You will see a noticeable difference in the shape of your body quite soon after surgery. However, improvement will become even more apparent after about four to six weeks, when most of the swelling has subsided. After about three months, any persistent mild swelling usually disappears and the final contour will be visible. You will probably be very pleased with the results of your liposuction. You may find that you are more comfortable in a wide variety of clothes and more at ease with your body. And, by eating a healthy diet and getting regular exercise, you can help to maintain your new shape.

World renowned specialist in liposuction, Chicago surgeon Dr. Tcheupdjian follows a Liposuction procedure perfected over years of extensive study and practice, in which localized deposits of fat are removed to re-contour one or more areas of the body. Through a tiny incision, a narrow tube or cannula is inserted and used to vacuum the fat layer that lies deep beneath the skin. The cannula is pushed then pulled through the fat layer, breaking up the fat cells and suctioning them out. The suction action is provided by a vacuum pump. If many sites are being treated, our surgeon will then move on to the next area, working to keep the incisions as inconspicuous as possible. The scars from liposuction are small and strategically placed to be hidden from view.

Large volumes of fluid, sometimes as much as three times the amount of fat to be removed, are injected in the tumescent technique. Tumescent liposuction, typically performed on patients who need only a local anesthetic, usually takes significantly longer than traditional liposuction (sometimes as long as 4 to 5 hours). However, because the injected fluid contains an adequate amount of anesthetic, additional anesthesia may not be necessary. The name of this technique refers to the swollen and firm or “tumesced” state of the fatty tissues when they are filled with solution. The time required to perform liposuction and body contouring may vary considerably, depending on the size of the area, the amount of fat being removed, and the type of anesthesia.