Recovery Instructions for Los Angeles and Beverly Hills Plastic Surgery Patients Healing After Liposuction, Tummy Tuck, or Breast Augmentation

One of the most important concerns that Beverly Hills and Los Angeles prospective patients share in regards to undergoing plastic surgery procedures, such as liposuction, tummy tuck, or breast augmentation, is the extent of recovery time after cosmetic surgery. With our hectic lives, busy work schedules, and never-ending family responsibilities, men and women are asking:

When can I go back to work?
When can I return to the gym?
How soon can I get back to caring for my small children?
How bad is the pain from surgery?
When can I drive again?
How soon can I continue to travel?
How long do I have to wait before I have sex?
How long will I be restricted from wearing certain types of clothing?

The answer to these important questions about plastic surgery recovery depends on the type of surgery, the involved body parts, the multiplicity of the procedures, family support structure, and the extent of work or home responsibilities.

In the following section, board certified Los Angeles plastic surgeon Dr. Sean Younai describes the approximate recovery course and restrictions for a variety of plastic surgery procedures. Patients in Southern California, including those from Beverly Hills and Los Angeles, can greatly benefit from these instructions.

Recovery after Liposuction: Tumescent, Laser, and Ultrasonic

Liposuction, technically known as "suction-assisted lipectomy" or "lipoplasty," is a relatively easy procedure to recover from, mainly because there are no large incisions and the surgery is superficial. A skilled Los Angeles liposuction specialist can perform this procedure on a variety of areas, such as the neck/face, arms, chest, breasts, abdomen, back, buttocks, thighs, knees, calves, and ankles. The pain and recovery time of liposuction is similar to that of a bad muscle bruise sustained during a motor vehicle accident. Most patients take a week or less of recovery before returning to work after liposuction. There are no restrictions with respect to exercise, and you may return to your exercise routine as you feel comfortable. Likewise, there are no restrictions with lifting, pushing, pulling or taking care of young children; although, most people cannot do strenuous house work for about four days. Most patients are able to drive within a week; however, this also depends on which parts of the body received liposuction. For example, it is harder to use the steering wheel if you had liposuction of the arms. When it comes to sex, there are no restrictions as long as you are comfortable!

Especially in Beverly Hills and Los Angeles, most patients are eager to know when they can wear that special outfit for that exciting party or event! After liposuction, you will be wearing a girdle for about six weeks. Despite this, most of your regular clothes should fit comfortably over it. After the first three weeks, if you are planning to wear revealing cloths or dresses, you don't have to wear your girdle during that time. Finally, there are no travel restrictions.

Recovery after a Tummy Tuck ("Abdominoplasty"), a Body Lift, or "Belt Lipectomy"

A tummy tuck ("abdominoplasty"), which is also considered a body lift or "belt lipectomy" procedure, involves removing the hanging abdominal skin fold, along with tightening the abdominal muscles. The pain and recovery of a tummy tuck is similar to that of a c-section or hysterectomy. Most women in Los Angeles or Beverly Hills take about two weeks for recovery before returning to work. Because of tightening of the abdominal muscles, patients cannot do any heavy lifting or straining at home, work, or the gym for about eight weeks. You can do power walking or bicycling in two to three weeks. You can also have sex in two to three weeks as long as you don't strain your abdominal muscles for six to eight weeks. Your clothes will be somewhat tight around the waist for about four to six weeks due to the normal post-operative swelling. Dr. Younai, a leading tummy tuck Los Angeles specialist, agrees that there are no travel restrictions as long as you don't use a public pool or Jacuzzi for three weeks.

Recovery after Breast Augmentation with Implants

Breast augmentation is one of the most common plastic surgery procedures performed in Beverly Hills and Los Angeles. Breast enlargement involves insertion of a Saline or Silicone Breast Implant under the Pectoralis chest muscle. The pain associated with breast augmentation is due to the stretching of the Pectoralis muscle by the underlying breast implant. After surgery, most women describe this feeling as heavy pressure on their chests. As patients move their arms, especially above the shoulders, the breast area will be uncomfortable for two weeks. Most women take off one week from work after breast augmentation. You can do lower body exercises in one week and should refrain from lifting heavy objects for the first two to three weeks. Likewise, I don't recommend driving for one week. You may have sex at any time, as long as your breasts don't get manipulated for the first five weeks. There are no travel restrictions as long as you don't get your breasts wet in a public pool or a Jacuzzi for four weeks.

Usually, "augmentopexy," or breast lift plus augmentation, is more painful than just breast augmentation. Still, the recovery is the same.

During your consultation, Los Angeles cosmetic surgeon Dr. Younai will review your treatment options for plastic surgery procedures, including the pros and cons of each technique, potential risks and complications, recovery course, pre- and post-operative instructions, and aesthetic outcomes. There are also many high-resolution before and after pictures of these procedures available in our photo gallery.

At the California Center for Plastic Surgery, Dr. Younai is a board certified plastic surgeon who receives patients from the Northern and Southern California region. Some of these cities include Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Hollywood, Burbank, Sherman Oaks, Encino, Calabasas, Woodland Hills, Thousand Oaks, Westlake Village, Pasadena, Glendale, Valencia, Palmdale, Fresno, Bakersfield, and Oxnard.