Patients have different ways of tolerating pain after an operation and this is taken into consideration. According to some, pain is associated with an aching body part. To others, pain means great discomfort. After their operation, they are given appropriate medications, which help reduce pain and discomfort. Many facial cosmetic surgeries cause minimal discomfort after. Liposuction feels a little more uncomfortable while operations that involve elevation or muscle tightening like abdominoplasty cause discomfort equivalent to that of a cesarian section.
How long does it take for patients to recuperate and when can they go back to their regular activities?
The length of time needed to recover after plastic surgery is different since this depends on the procedure and patient who has undergone the operation. A lot of patients need help for the first 2 days. Even if most patients could take care of themselves, they may use a little assistance when they have small children to look after. Below are the specific lengths of disability based on procedure. These are only estimates, not including going back to exercise.
Eyelid Surgery
Patients can move by themselves on the second day. They can feel comfortable wearing sunglasses when going shopping on the 3rd or 4th day and using makeup, they could go back to work on the 5th to 7th day.
Facelift Surgery
They can move independently on the second day. They do not feel comfortable being seen in public for 5 to 7 days. They can only go back to work away from home within 10 to 14 days.
Breast Surgery
Patients can get up from bed by the evening or the day after surgery. They can move around on their own on the second day. They can also go back to work in 5 to 7 days granting they do not need to lift things that weigh above 15 pounds.
Liposuction
They can move by themselves on the second day and even earlier, if only a few areas were treated. They can return to their normal lives like going back to work in 5 to 7 days.
Abdominoplasty
It would take about 2 to 4 days before they could move around without any help. The recovery is almost the same as cesarian section. They can go back to a desk job in 5 to 7 days and other jobs in 10 to 14 days.
When can they do regular exercises?
The time patients can go back to their regular exercises varies and depends on the operation done. As a start, they can have a slow walking routine on the second day after operation. They are not allowed, though, to engage in aerobics and other vigorous exercises during the first 2 weeks to avoid the risks of bleeding, bruising and swelling. In most cases, they are only allowed to lift weights and join contact sports in 6 weeks.
