Question:
Please comment on recovery after lipo on thighs.

I am having lipo next week on my inner and outer thighs, and lower buttocks next week. I was wondering what the recovery is like. I have already gone through a belt lipectomy, so I can't imagine that this would be anything like that. But maybe I'm kidding myself, and am underprepared! Anyone who has had experience with this please comment. Will I be up and about the next day? For example, could I go walking around in the grocery store?    — raye (posted on July 1, 2004)

June 30, 2004
Hi Raye, I had lipo on my inner and outer thighs, knees, and buttocks years ago when I was still heavy in order to help me get more proportioned with my upper body, but now that I've lost most of my weight I'm looking into having the belt lipectomy, so I can't compare the two. I will have to say that the lipo was definitely painful, but percocet took care of most of the pain and soreness for me. I'm sure the belt lipectomy is much worse because of all the cutting and the extensive incisions involved. Considering you've already had the belt lipectomy, I'm sure you'll do great with the liposuction. Best of luck to you.
   — Hackett

July 1, 2004
Hi Raye, I had LBL on Feb 23, 04 with lipo on my outer thighs, which I did not know he was going to do at the time. When I got out of surgery I had this numbness on my thighs and asked him about it. That is when I found out. Ok great, this is no problem, it'll make me look better. In two days it hurt so bad. It was like my thighs were one great big huge bruise. It was difficult to be around my kids for at least a month because they would constantly bump me. Today, I have no pain but there is still a numb sensation. To tell you the truth, I do not know if I would ever get lipo again. Be prepared to be on meds. I consider myself to have a high pain tolerance as well. One thing I do want to say though, is that they were ok as long as they wren't bumped. Good Luck!
   — Angela A.

July 1, 2004
Raye, You are right that the BL and the lipo won't be anything alike, the lipo will be way worse. I am 3-1/2 weeks PO from having 4 liters of fat lipo'd out of both legs. Most of it was done in the 12 inches above the knee and then some on the upper front and upper back of the legs. I had already had a lateral thigh lift with lipo when I had my LBL on Feb 23rd, 2004. I thought the numbness, bruising etc. was bad from that but it was nothing like what I had this time. The extensive lipo was done on my legs in preparation for removing the skin in Nov. Without it, I would still have very large and misproportioned legs. I may even need a revision through my LBL incision to do a vertical lift of the skin on the legs in order to get all sagging gone. He's not sure at this point. While he will pull up when be removes the skin that will be towrds the inner thigh as he does not plan to gut around the top of the leg at that time. The groin incisions are hard to get healed because of the mositure etc. <p>I am not trying to scare the crap out of you but you need to be mentally prepared for what will come your way. I woke up and tried to move my legs and could not believe the pain. They were literally swollen the size of basketballs right above the knees - no exaggeration! I came out of surgery in a compression suit that went from my calves to just under my breasts. This is the same one I had after my LBL. Even with that on the swelling was horrendous. <p>It's hard for me to compare the pain between the LBL and the lipo as with the LBL most of my pain was from how tight the skin was. I had 19 lbs of skin removed in that procedure. I was cut 360 degrees and also have the anchor cut. Both surgeries sucked with pain but for the first few days I think the lipo was the worst. I also had an upper abdominoplasty done at the same time as the leg lipo and the leg pain was so great I hardly even noticed I hurt up higher for about 3 days. Eventually I knew it though. <p>All this said I am not sorry I did it. The first night I stood and tried to walk and took 4 steps and was asking for a barf bucket. The pain was so bad that I immediately got nauseated. But by the next day I was able to do some walking around the hospital floor, but not very comfortably. For the first 2 weeks+ I was walking strange because the area above the knees was so swollen that they pushed my legs so far apart. I had to go out and buy longer dresses so I could go back to work because I will be in this compression suit for probably another month yet - 2 months total. After the first 10 days or so I slowly started to see the swelling start to sudside. I stayed in the hospital 2 nights as there was no way I was going to let him kick me out after 1 night and my insurance had approved 3 nights. They did not cover the lipo work but did the 2nd stage abdominoplasty, so that drastically lowered my cost. I came home Wed night and on Thursday I did venture out for about an hour as I needed to find a back support bra to get some compression on my upper incision. It was hurting and swelling and did not feel good. But as soon as I found some bras I got home and got my legs up. I also went shopping the next day for about 90 minutes looking for some long dresses. Again by the time the 90 minutes was there I was wishing I was home. It's important to keep them up and compressed but it also is important to move and get circulation going. It's a fine line that first week or two. I went back to work 1/2 days the 2nd week and it wasn't too bad. I can control how much I had to move around etc. and could put my legs up on my desk if needed. Which is how I am sitting here typing this to you. They don't swee=ll nearly as much but it does feel good to put them up here and there. <p>At 3-1/2 weeks I mainly have swelling left in the insides of the areas for 6" above each knee. A little swelling/hardness on the outside just above the knee but that keeps softening up more each day. If I'm on my feet all day by the end they are more swollen and uncomfortable but never back to the basketballs anymore. I also had pretty bad lower leg swelling the 2nd week but that seemed to go over within a week or so. I had that after my LBL also, which is strange as I never have lower leg swelling. I'm just not prone to it. My legs, while still have some swelling, actually look better now than before surgery. They look smaller and more inproportion to my body. The next step for me is as the swelling goes all the way down they will actually get worse looking because the skin will start to hang more and more. I knew that but wanted the best end result when he removes the skin. He said he would not even consider doing the skin removal for at least 4 months because he wanted to be sure every last bit of swelling was gone. I had to wait 5 months because I am getting married in late October. So it's two weeks of wedded bliss and then "DON"T TOUCH ME IT HURTS". Poor future hubby. He's been great through both PS's so I know he will deal with it. <p>I had been dreading the skin removal on the legs because everything I have heard is it's horrible pain because of the skin being so tight and yet you do need to sit on the legs etc. I still suspect it will be bad but I'm thinking now it won't be as bad as the lipo, from a pain standpoint. I also will not be having my thighs tightened as tight as possible because I have huge knee bones from carrying 442 pounds for many years and also have larger calves. I don't want them to stand out and then have thin legs above there, so it will be interesting to see how he does it. I bet there will still be tons of swelling though at first and that will be the major pain causer. <p>I used way more morphine after the lipo surgery than my WLS and first PS together. However, I went home on Darvocet which is relatively mild with so-so control. I ended up using some liquid Roxicet I had left from my WLS 16 months earlier and that was the best relief. It's basically liquid Pecoset. Because it was liquid it would get into the system quick and provide some good relief. Not pain free but sure allowed me to move better. Within a week or so I switched to extra strength tylenol for the most part but would do the Roxicet at night to help me sleep or if the swelling pain was real bad. By 2 weeks or so I was off all pain meds other than an occassional tylenol. <p>Things will progress daily and that will keep your spirits up. I lost almost 5 units of blood with my LBL and felt like a washed out rag for weeks. By the start of week 2 I felt pretty much back to my normal self but had pain from the swelling. But I felt strong and wanted to do things etc. So it's a much better recovery for me this time. I did not have any drains associated with the lipo work but did have 3 for the upper adbominoplasty area which amazingly came out slightly before 2 weeks. I had drains for 8-1/2 weeks with the LBL so I was thrilled with this. <p>Get yourself a good quality stage 1 compression garment if your surgeon isn't going to put you in one. Elastic bandages are fine at first but a pain long term. You can get them at www.makemeheal.com and some other sites too. You want a stage 1 garment with the zippers because believe me at first even typing to pull that over the bruised thighs is enough to send you through the roof. They run extremely small so buy big. I'm wearing 12/14 pants and mine are 2X. Mine are a different brand, Caromed, as I got them from my PS. Mine ran about $50-60. They are more like $70-80 off the net, but trust me it is worth every penny. Even now my legs just feel so much better with it on. I also have worn very tight capri or ankle lenth leggings with the Supplex fiber in then so they provide a lot of compression. Again buy them tight. They aren't as good at first because you have to pull them over the bruising. Even now it is tender to pull stuff over. More and more area is starting to come alive and be less numb but it will take many months before I don't have any numbness from the lipo. The numbness on my outer thighs was not totally gone after 3-1/2 months from the LBL work. He did a little revision in that area with this last surgery so they are tender again. <p>If your stomach can handle it I am willing to send you some pics that were taken 5 days PO. Extremely purple is all I can say. It is a very rough procedure but it truly will be worth it in the end. I am already very pleased with what I am seeing just in the smaller size of my legs/knees. Just dig down and find that inner strength that will carry you through. That and a good bottle of pain meds. LOL Feel free to eamil me with any questions, to chat or if you want the pics. Sorry this went on so long but I have such recent experience with this that I wanted to provide as much info as I could. Sorry if the length offends anyone.
   — zoedogcbr

July 2, 2004
It was by far the most excruciating pain I have ever felt. It took me a good 2 months to fell any semblance of normalcy. Good luck, but don't be fooled. Liposuction......It's a killer!
   — MURRAY

July 2, 2004
Had an open RNY-it hurt. Let's say an 8:10 scale. Had breast aug with a lift and both arms done-it hurt. 7:10 scale. Had a TT and thigh lift-it hurt. Probably a 5:10 scale. had a little lipo on my 'back rolls'-it HURT LIKE HELL for a long time AND he did it with a hand held syringe-NO SUCTION, and it still hurt like HELL. There's no other words to describe it. 9:10 scale. Ironically, I've lost more weight since then and now plan on revising my TT and am considering a butt lift, but would not get lipo again. PS I admit that I am a wuss. Diane www.WeightlossSurgery.ws
   — DianeN