Many men and women are having body contouring procedures to reverse the negative effects caused by aging and other factors. Today, most people prefer minimally invasive and non-invasive body contouring treatments over traditional modalities that are invasive and require longer recovery time. BodyTite is one such versatile procedure that requires only local anesthesia and provides excellent outcomes. Performed using the FDA-approved BodyTite device by InMode, BodyTite liposuction in New York City is a safe and effective cosmetic surgical procedure that allows efficient removal of stubborn fat along with superior skin tightening effects, while leaving the surrounding tissues unharmed.
The innovative FDA-cleared BodyTite liposuction technique uses patented radiofrequency (RF) energy and can be used to treat both small and large areas – the abdomen, flanks (waist), love-handles, breasts, thighs, lower back, arms and knees for fat removal and tissue tightening. Results are patient specific and depend on the treatment area and amount of fat removed, that is, larger areas will require a longer recovery time. Initial results can be seen immediately after the procedure, with the best results noticeable after 6-12 weeks.
Yet, there are many concerns regarding the procedure that people discuss on popular plastic surgery forums such as Realself. One patient who is an avid weightlifter asked: “Having lower back BodyTite lipo and would like to know how long it will be before I can resume light weight lifting”.
This patient was aware that starting heavy exercises would take more time, and asked: “to do light arm exercises using cable machines, doing chest press machines, etc., am I looking at days? A week or two?”
One expert replied that this is a common concern everyone shares and since the patient is an avid exerciser and works out more than the average person, certain factors would determine how much downtime would be involved and when light workouts could be resumed:
- Type of Anesthesia: If the procedure is done under local anesthesia (awake), the recovery time would be much shorter than if it were done under general anesthesia.
- Amount of RF Energy Deposited: A reliable surgeon would discuss how much energy will be needed depending on the soft tissue laxity the patient has.
- How much Fat is Removed and how Large the Treatment Area is: Even though the amount of fat removed is not always a large volume (such as in fit individuals who want high definition lipo), a relatively large area still needs to be treated in order to create a contoured, natural looking physique.
- Preoperative Activity Level: Patients who are extremely fit and used to working out tend to get back to their daily activities more quickly. Older patients with medical issues who are less physically fit will take longer.
- Other Factors: Prescription medications, pre-existing conditions and general tolerance for discomfort will also affect the extent of downtime.
The surgeon also points out that most people get back to their exercise regimen within two to three weeks of BodyTite liposuction, once the patient slowly starts off with walking the next day, doing light stretching within a week, and performing 1/4 to 1/2 intensity workouts in the subsequent weeks.
Other experts who replied to the patient’s questions said that BodyTite patients could start their routine off with slow and less weight-bearing, cardio exercises, and gradually work themselves into it. Once the tenderness and swelling begins to subside, they can advance a bit with their regular workouts. When it comes to resuming exercise after BodyTite liposuction or any other body contouring procedure, the golden rule is: “let your body be your guide with respect to the degree of exertion”.