RECOVERY > BODY CONTOURING
Body contouring covers a wide range of procedures — liposuction, tummy tucks, mommy makeovers, fat transfer (BBL), and increasingly, contouring after significant GLP-1 weight loss. What they have in common is a recovery period that most patients dread more than the surgery itself. A lot of that dread comes from outdated expectations: extended bed rest, heavy narcotic use, and a vague instruction to "take it easy" for weeks. Dr. McLeod's approach treats recovery as something to design, not something to endure.
In a lot of traditional surgical training, recovery protocol gets built after the operative plan — the surgery is designed first, and a recovery instruction sheet gets handed to the patient on the way out. Dr. McLeod plans it the other way around, thinking through how a patient gets back on their feet before ever picking up an instrument, because the choices made in the operating room are what make an easier recovery possible in the first place.
This is the same principle behind an Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) pathway — a structured, evidence-based approach used across surgical specialties to reduce complications and shorten recovery by addressing pain control, mobility, hydration, and nutrition as a single coordinated plan rather than isolated afterthoughts.
An ERAS pathway touches nearly every part of the surgical experience, starting before the operating room:
For patients who want an extra layer of pain control, Exparel — a long-acting local anesthetic injected at the surgical site during the procedure — is available as an optional add-on. It extends numbness at the incision well past the first day and further reduces how much narcotic medication a patient needs in that early window.
Of every piece of the pathway, the one patients are most surprised by is how soon they're expected to walk. The old instinct after body contouring surgery was to rest — stay in bed, move as little as possible. We now know that's largely backwards: movement in the first hours after surgery improves circulation, meaningfully lowers the risk of blood clots, and reduces the stiffness and swelling that make the first week feel so much harder than it needs to. Walking is built into the protocol from the day of surgery, with a clear, structured expectation adjusted to the specific procedure performed.
Exact timelines vary by procedure — a BBL carries different positioning restrictions than a tummy tuck, and liposuction alone typically recovers faster than a full mommy makeover — but the underlying pathway is consistent across all of them.
For patients contouring after significant GLP-1 weight loss, this pathway matters even more — these procedures are often more extensive, addressing larger amounts of excess skin and tissue, which makes a proactive, structured recovery plan less of a convenience and more of a necessity.
An ERAS pathway is a structured, evidence-based approach to surgical recovery that coordinates pain control, mobility, hydration, and nutrition as a single plan rather than separate afterthoughts. It's used across surgical specialties to reduce complications and shorten recovery time.
Structured walking begins the same day as surgery. Early movement improves circulation, lowers the risk of blood clots, and reduces the stiffness and swelling that make the first week feel harder than it needs to be.
Most patients need far less narcotic medication than expected, and some need none at all, due to a multimodal pain control strategy that layers non-narcotic medications. Exparel, a long-acting local anesthetic, is available as an optional add-on for extra pain control.
Exparel is a long-acting local anesthetic injected at the surgical site during the procedure. It's an optional add-on that extends numbness at the incision site past the first day, further reducing narcotic needs. It is not required for every patient.
Structured walking and light activity typically begin the day of surgery, progressing to light daily activity by week 1-2 and gradual return to exercise by week 3-4 or later, depending on the specific procedure and individual progress.
Yes. It applies to contouring after significant GLP-1 weight loss, where procedures are often more extensive and a proactive, structured recovery plan is especially important.
