Liposuction is among the most performed plastic surgeries in the United States. Thousands of patients in the U.S. get the surgical operation every year. This is a surgical procedure carried out to remove fat from specific body areas. These areas include the abdomen, thighs, arms, chin, neck, hips, or buttocks. This procedure uses a suction technique to remove the fat and contour the areas. After any surgery procedure (including liposuction) you’re recommended to avoid consuming alcohol, caffeinated drinks such as tea and coffee, and fizzy beverages for a while. While some believe that coffee helps avoid postoperative ileus, others assert that coffee slows wound healing after surgery. To clear out everything, this article will discuss the efficacy of coffee drinking after surgery and other liposuction aftercare. Let’s begin.
Coffee After liposuction
Coffee has a lot of benefits linked to it such as providing you with antioxidants, boosting your energy levels, reducing the risk of some diseases such as type 2 diabetes, promoting weight loss, and supporting brain health. When it comes to liposuction and other surgical operations, drinking coffee immediately may depend on your procedure. However, there are some disadvantages to consuming coffee after a surgical operation. This is a result of the caffeine in coffee, which is a natural stimulant. These disadvantages include:
- Caffeine causes dehydration
- Caffeine causes an increase in blood pressure
- Caffeine slows the wound healing process
Let’s get into details.
Caffeine Causes Dehydration
Coffee and other caffeinated beverages such as tea, sodas, and energy drinks are natural diuretics. Natural diuretics are substances that increase your urine production and help you get rid of excess water in your body. When you drink coffee after surgery, the caffeine in it increases your urine excretion, which increases the risk of dehydration. After liposuction or any other surgical procedure, you need to drink plenty of fluids to retrieve the lost electrolytes, increase nutrient absorption, and return to your body’s normal state.
Therefore, when your body is dehydrated as a result of coffee consumption, there are risks of complications, and the recovery process of your body is slowed down. Additionally, dehydration after surgery causes dryness to your soft tissues and skin, which means that your wound won’t heal properly. Generally, dehydration as a result of coffee consumption hinders your recovery process.
Caffeine Causes an Increase in Blood Pressure
Caffeine in coffee increases blood pressure because of its vasoconstrictive effects. This means that when you consume coffee, the arteries become constricted or narrowed, causing an increase in blood pressure, something you don’t want to happen after surgery.
Additionally, caffeine increases your blood pressure by triggering adrenaline production by the adrenal glands. An increase in adrenaline causes a fast heartbeat and constriction of blood vessels, which increases your blood pressure. When your blood pressure increases, you are at risk of stroke and heart attack. Therefore, it’s best to avoid consuming coffee after liposuction or other surgeries.
Caffeine Slows the Wound Healing Process
After liposuction and other surgical operations, you want your wound to heal as fast as possible so that you get back to your normal life. However, coffee consumption may slow your healing, which prolongs your recovery. How? Caffeine slows down the epithelialization process. This is a process whereby epithelial cells in your body migrate towards the wounded area and repair it by creating a new covering tissue.
Epithelialization is the most essential process in wound healing. So when the process is slowed down by coffee consumption, your wound healing process is impaired and therefore prolonged. If you want to enjoy your liposuction procedure effects, it is best to avoid coffee and other caffeinated beverages for a while.
Should You Drink Coffee After Liposuction?
Despite the negative caffeine consumption effects after surgery, recent studies indicate that consuming coffee after liposuction or surgery can be beneficial in preventing postoperative ileus. Postoperative ileus is a prolonged lack of bowel movements after a surgical procedure. The ileus resolves spontaneously in three days. Some of the common symptoms include bloating, stomach cramps, vomiting, nausea, abdominal distention, intolerance to oral diet, and inability to pass flatus.
Additionally, coffee consumption improves gastrointestinal function. According to recent studies, patients who drink coffee the day or morning after surgery experience fewer headaches. As a result, these patients have a huge chance of having bowel movements and returning home sooner than those who consume water.
However, the use of coffee and caffeinated beverages after a surgery entirely depend on your surgical procedure. Furthermore, experts recommend that you avoid coffee, tea, sports drinks (Gatorade), fizzy beverages, vegetable juices (V8), and salty beverages. Traces of salt in your body can increase swelling and edema. After liposuction, drinking water is essential for recovery. Therefore, aim for at least eight glasses of water in a day.
Equally important avoid these three things after a liposuction procedure.
- Caffeinated beverages will dehydrate your body
- Alcohol depresses the fighting mechanisms of your body, making it more prone to illness
- Sodium dehydrates your body
Most importantly, consult your doctor before taking coffee or any caffeinated beverage after liposuction or other surgical procedures.
When Can I Drink Coffee After Liposuction
There lacks a standard answer to when you should drink coffee after liposuction. The best thing is to consult your doctor regarding it. However, it is safe to drink coffee three weeks after liposuction since your wounds have begun healing and your body has begun getting into a better state.
When it comes to coffee consumption before liposuction or other surgical operations, it’s best to stop drinking coffee a couple of days before. Furthermore, if you suffer from caffeine withdrawal symptoms such as headaches when you stop drinking coffee, it’s best to experience the headache days before liposuction, other than the scheduled operation day.
When Can I Drink Coffee After Surgery
Coffee consumption after surgery depends on the type of procedure. Some procedures allow you to drink coffee immediately after surgery. However, avoid hot coffee and liquids for 48 hours after surgery, since heat can aggravate the wound, preventing it from fully recovering. Additionally, avoid using a straw to drink your cold brew or iced coffee, since a straw can dislodge a blood clot, which delays healing.
What Should I Drink After Liposuction?
Drink a lot of water after liposuction. Aim for at least eight glasses of water in a day. Staying hydrated will help reduce post-operative swelling and fasten the healing process. You can add slices of lemon and lime to your water to enhance flavor. Additionally, you can take other fluids of your choice except for coffee, alcohol, tea, carbonated drinks, high salt drinks, sports drinks, and vegetable juice.
What Foods Should I Avoid After Liposuction?
After liposuction, you’ll need to alter your diet into something healthy to help recover fast and maintain long-term best results from your procedure. Furthermore, weight loss is the primary focus of the surgery. Therefore, focus on consuming enough proteins from healthy sources to help heal post-surgical wounds and restore damaged skin and tissues. Some healthy protein sources include fish, sardines, beans and legumes, lean meat, red meat in moderation, and protein supplements. Basically, aim to eat foods from all the food groups (fruits, vegetables, whole grains, dairy, and proteins).
Here is a list of foods you should avoid after liposuction.
- Fried food
- Baked goods
- Fast foods
- Sodas
- Processed meats – such as bacon, hot dogs, salami
- Sugary cereals
- Refined grains – such as pasta, crackers, white bread, and rice
What are the Effects of Taking Alcohol After Liposuction?
As mentioned earlier, drinking alcohol after liposuction suppresses your body’s fighting mechanisms, making it prone to infections. Additionally, drinking alcohol after liposuction can cause more post-operative bleeding and other complications. The standard recommendation is to avoid alcohol consumption two weeks before surgery and after surgery to prevent adverse side effects.
Should You Drink Coffee After Abdominoplasty or Tummy Tuck?
A tummy tuck is a surgical procedure that makes the abdomen thinner and firmer. You can drink coffee after abdominoplasty. However, just like liposuction, you’re recommended to take plenty of water after the tummy tuck procedure. So, instead of drinking sodas, tea, and other beverages, drink at least eight to ten glasses of water in a day.
Additionally, follow your surgeon’s post-operative recommendations since they may have a customized recovery plan for you that include avoiding certain meals, beverages, and supplements before and after surgery.
What Diet Should You Stick to After Liposuction?
To help recover faster and maintain the results after liposuction, you’ll need to take fruits, lean protein, vegetables, and lean protein. Equally important, avoid saturated fat intake, and reduce sugar intake, and carbohydrates.
Liposuction Aftercare
Bruising, swelling, and discoloration are pretty common after liposuction. However, the liposuction effects may vary between people. When it comes to liposuction aftercare, it is best to follow postoperative instructions from your surgeon to help minimize any discomfort and aid in quick recovery. Here are some general liposuction aftercare tips that you can implement.
- Stay hydrated by drinking a lot of water each day as well as other fluids. However, avoid tea, coffee, sports drinks, carbonated drinks, vegetable juice, and high salt drinks for at least three days after liposuction.
- Avoid alcohol until you’re done taking pain medications and antibiotics.
- Avoid operating any machinery such as a motor vehicle for 24 hours after liposuction or other operations.
- Keep your incision sites dry and clean.
- Avoid submersion in water for at least ten days after liposuction. So no jacuzzi, swimming pools, and baths.
- Wear a compression garment for at least six weeks after liposuction. Equally important have someone around you when you remove the compression garment you’re discharged with, since you may get dizzy.
- Avoid self-tanners at least for 2 weeks after your procedure. Tanning tends to darken the incision sites made.
- Complete your antibiotic dosage or treatment.
- Don’t use ice packs or hot materials on the incision.
- Walk around to promote blood flow in the incision sites and avoid blood clots in your legs.
- Have someone check on you regularly to ensure you’re comfortable and that you get the help you need.
A full liposuction recovery may take time depending on factors such as age, medical history, liposuction area, and overall health. In general, follow the post-recovery instructions you are given to ease the recovery process. Additionally, your first week is the one you should be most careful about. Avoid normal routines during this week.
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