Recovery and aftercare
What the weeks after surgery look like, when to call the recovery line, and your follow-up appointments.
Recovery, procedure by procedure
How long until most people are back at a desk, driving and exercising. Plan the time off before you book.
Procedure
Back to desk work
Driving
Exercise
Eyelid surgery
1 week
After 1 week
Gentle after 2 weeks
Nose reshaping
1 to 2 weeks
After 1 week
After 6 weeks
Breast augmentation
1 to 2 weeks
After 2 weeks
After 6 weeks
Liposuction
About 1 week
After 1 week
After 4 weeks
Facelift
2 to 3 weeks
After 2 weeks
After 6 weeks
Tummy tuck
2 to 4 weeks
After 3 to 4 weeks
After 8 weeks
Typical times (sample). Your surgeon tells you what applies to you; heavy lifting and manual work usually take longer.
Had surgery with us and worried about something? The recovery line, (555) 018-4499, is answered by a nurse 24 hours a day for our patients (sample). For heavy bleeding or trouble breathing, call 911.
- Swelling and bruising are normal and fade over weeks
- Scars stay pink for months and pale over a year or more
- Compression garments are worn for four to six weeks after body surgery
When to call, and whom
Some things are expected after surgery and some need a nurse to look. If you are unsure, call.
Call 911
Heavy bleeding that does not stop with pressure, chest pain, or trouble breathing.
Call the recovery line now
Swelling on one side much more than the other, a wound that opens, redness that spreads, a temperature over 38 °C.
Call in the morning
A dressing that has slipped, stitches that catch, questions about medicines.
Expected
Bruising, tightness, swelling that comes and goes, tiredness for a week or two.
After surgery, call us first
The recovery line is answered by a nurse day and night for patients of the clinic (sample). Nothing is too small to ask about.