If you’re considering liposuction for the arms, it’s important to know all the facts. You need to know what the procedure involves and if it will have any long-term impact on your life. One question that many prospective patients ask is whether they can go straight back to work after their procedures. The answer is always going to be no. The nature of your job will affect when you can go back to work. However, you’re always going to need to take some time to rest and recuperate after surgery.
Liposuction Is Surgery!
It’s vital to remember that liposuction is a form of surgery. You would take time off work to have any other form of surgical procedure. It’s no different when you have arm liposuction. After the procedure, you’ll experience some pain and discomfort. You need time to rest before resuming normal activities, including work. Even if your job is a sedentary one, you’ll need some time off to recuperate. If you have a very active or physical job, you’ll need even more time away from the workplace.
What Is the Arm Liposuction Recovery Like?
After you have arm liposuction, you cannot drive home yourself. You need a friend or family member to take you home. That, in itself, means you aren’t going to be fit for work straight away.
In the immediate few days after liposuction, you’ll feel very sore. You may have medication to take to help with the pain. You will also experience bruising and swelling. It’s possible you could have other side effects of surgery too. Although you don’t need to be in a hospital, you need to stay at home during these early post-procedure days.
Your surgeon will advise you to avoid staying in bed all day. You need to take some light exercise after a couple of days to promote good blood flow. The emphasis, however, is on “light” exercise. You should avoid strenuous activities of any sort for the first few days. Wait until your surgeon tells you it’s safe before you return to more physical forms of exercise.
I Have a Sedentary Job – When Can I Return to Work?
If you have a sedentary office job, you can go back to work sooner than someone with a physical role. Depending on how well you’re healing, three days off work may be sufficient. It may be best to plan for at least a week away from the workplace, though. That gives you the best chance of a good recovery and the best outcomes.
I Have a Physical Job – How Long Before I Can Go Back to Work?
If your role is a physical one, you need more time to recuperate before returning to work. If you carry out heavy lifting, for example, you cannot do this until your surgeon gives you the green light. It may take as long as four to six weeks for this to happen.
It’s very important to plan ahead for your liposuction surgery so you can take enough time off to recuperate. You don’t want to compromise the result of your procedure. Therefore, you need to follow your surgeon’s advice regarding exercise and physical activity carefully after having liposuction for the arms. Dr. Su at ArtLipo can give you expert advice, so get in contact now to ask any questions you have.
Dr. Thomas Su, is the owner and cosmetic surgeon of Artistic Lipo. He has led our full-time clinic specializing in awake-only liposuction since 2007. Dr. Su began his medical career in internal medicine, practicing that until 2005, when he began to provide a full spectrum of non-invasive cosmetic procedures.
