You will likely wake up from surgery with bandages and dressings over the incisions. It’s also common for small plastic tubes to be placed around the incision to drain fluid away from the incision site. This helps to minimize swelling as you heal. It is also likely you will be wearing or be instructed to wear a compression garment. (This is also to reduce swelling.)
Returning home from the hospital we will send you post-op care instructions. These instructions will include specific notes on how to care for your dressing and what pain meds you can take. Most patients will take pain meds for the first few days and then they will be able to manage their discomfort with ibuprofen.
Recovering from your surgery will require some lifestyle adjustments. You will not be allowed to sit or lie on your buttocks for 3 weeks after your surgery. This is an important time for your newly placed tissue, as it establishes a blood supply. Sitting can impair blood flow to the new tissue and cause the results of your enhancement to fail. Eventually, Dr. Larsen will allow you to sit in a modified position on a donut or air pillow. This helps to avoid putting pressure directly on the buttocks as your body heals. Normal sitting can be resumed after 8 weeks. Although most patients can resume many of their daily activities within 10-14 days and some even return to work within a few weeks. Dr. Larsen will help determine the best path of healing for you with your optimal results in mind.