Drooping and sagging in the thighs, buttocks, and lower body can drastically impact your appearance. Thankfully a lower body lift can help. The procedure involves a combination of skin tightening and body sculpting options that help you tone up and get rid of stretchmarks. The team at Lake Country Plastic & Hand Surgery has helped countless patients throughout the Milwaukee area with this body contouring procedure.
Prospective body lift patients often have questions about the side effects of surgery and the side effects they will experience. Below is a brief rundown of the common side effects of a lower body lift and what can be done to help manage these issues.
Pain and Discomfort
Pain is a very common side effect following any sort of surgery, especially a major body lift procedure. The pain is centered around the parts of the body that were operated on and tends to be most pronounced and noticeable in the first few days after surgery, becoming much less of an issue as recovery continues. Patients should notice some steady improvements with regard to pain two or three days after their surgery.
Patients are often prescribed pain killers that they can take as directed to manage their discomfort after surgery. Over-the-counter medications can also be taken if soreness is mild yet persists. Patients are encouraged to get ample rest after surgery to help speed up the healing process.
Bruising and Swelling
Bruising and swelling are also common side effects after surgery. Bruising tends to be most pronounced in the first two weeks after a lower body lift. The bruising fades over the course of a month, with some residual discoloration lasting for a few weeks after. As for swelling, major swelling typically resolves after two weeks, with minor swelling persisting for another two weeks after that. Some residual swelling may last for several weeks afterwards.
Cold compresses can be used to help manage swelling and bruising in the early days of recovery. Compression garments worn after surgery can also be helpful in providing support to the body as it heals. Patients are encouraged to walk around a bit as they heal in order to promote blood circulation. This helps prevent blood clots in the legs and can help manage bruising and swelling as well.
Fluid from Drainage Tubes
Drainage tubes are often placed following a body contouring surgery. These will help prevent the excessive accumulation of fluid in the body after the surgery is performed. Drainage tubes will remain in place for a week to two weeks depending on the patient’s healing experience.
Patients should follow all instructions with regard to drainage tubes in order to prevent serious complications and ensure proper healing. A plastic surgeon will remove these drainage tubes during one of the follow-up visits for a lower body lift.
Numbness and Tingling Along Incisions
After any sort of surgery, it’s typical for a person to notice changes in sensation wherever incisions are made. This could mean numbness around the incision sites, tingling on part of the body that were operated on, and even acute sensitivity in these parts of the body.
These issues with sensation will resolve on their own as patients continue to recover and heal. As the weeks and months progress, this should become less and less of an issue.
Post-Surgical Scarring
Scarring is a reality after lower body lift surgery. All efforts are made to minimize the amount of visible scarring so patients can look their very best. In addition, many of the scars in a lower body lift can be concealed with most garments, undergarments, and bathing suits.
Post-surgical scars will be most visible and pronounced in the first weeks after surgery. As months go by, the color of the scars will fade. Over the years, scarring should blend with the pigment of the skin, becoming less noticeable and less visible with time.
Contact Lake Country Plastic & Hand Surgery
For more information about lower body lift surgery and how to enhance the contours and curves of your body, be sure to contact Lake Country Plastic & Hand Surgery today. We will work work with you to enhance your appearance and help you feel great about the way you look.
