Liposuction in Medellín · Day 5 of 7
Day 5 after liposuction in Medellín
Keep walking every day and keep the garment on. Leave boat trips with swimming and spa days for later.
Short answer
On day 5 after liposuction in Medellín:
- Not today Exercise · Showers, baths and pools
- With care Compression garment · Walking · Fluid from the cuts · Flying home
Good options today: Comuna 13 graffiti tour, Museo de Antioquia and Plaza Botero, Rooftop bars and Parque Lleras.
Today's rules
Compression garment
Wear the compression garment or bandages constantly for several weeks, taking them off only to shower. How long depends on the area treated, often 3 to 4 weeks or longer.
Source: NHS · Kaiser Permanente
Walking
Walk every day, a little more than the day before. Normal walking and general movement are fine.
Source: Kaiser Permanente · NHS
Exercise
Nothing strenuous in the first couple of weeks. Sources differ on when it is fine: Kaiser Permanente says strenuous exercise may be fine in 2 to 3 weeks, while the NHS suggests gentle exercise at 3 to 4 weeks and avoiding strenuous activity for 10 to 12 weeks. Ask your surgeon.
Source: NHS · Kaiser Permanente
Showers, baths and pools
Showering is usually fine 24 to 48 hours after surgery if your surgeon agrees. No bath for the first 2 weeks. The sources cited here give no date for pools, the sea, hot tubs or the hammam, so ask your surgeon.
Source: Kaiser Permanente · NHS
Fluid from the cuts
Fluid can drain from the small cuts for several days, bloody at first and then clear. Light gauze under the garment helps.
Source: Kaiser Permanente
Confirm with your surgeon. These are general activity limits from published aftercare guidance. Your clinic's written instructions always come first, and they may be stricter or looser for your procedure.
4 things you can do today
Comuna 13 graffiti tour
Street art, outdoor escalators and hillside lanes with a local guide. Steep, busy and mostly in the sun.
A few hours on foot with breaks, mostly in full sun, about 4 hours
Museo de Antioquia and Plaza Botero
Fernando Botero's paintings indoors, and his bronze sculptures on the busy square outside.
Gentle walking, some open-air walking, about 2 hours
Rooftop bars and Parque Lleras
El Poblado's rooftop bars and clubs. Late, loud and built around drinking, often on your feet for hours.
A few hours on foot with breaks, indoors, about 4 hours
Coffee farm tour
A visit to a coffee farm in the hills outside the city: plants, picking, roasting and tasting.
A few hours on foot with breaks, some open-air walking, about 6 hours
Also fine today: Medellín Botanical Garden · Downtown walking tour · Paragliding over the Aburrá Valley · Pueblito Paisa on Cerro Nutibara · Exotic fruit tasting at the market · Parque Arví · Parque Explora and aquarium · Museum of Modern Art of Medellín (MAMM) · Colombian cooking class · El Tesoro or Santafé mall · Metrocable ride over the hillsides · Cafés in Provenza, El Poblado · Colombian cacao and chocolate workshop · Museo Casa de la Memoria
2 things to skip today
Guatapé and El Peñol day trip
Why not: Too much walking and effort for this stage.
Not during the 7 days this guide covers. Ask your surgeon when it is safe.
Hotel spa with steam and hot tub
Why not: It involves swimming or water contact. It means steam, hot water or sauna heat.
Not during the 7 days this guide covers. Ask your surgeon when it is safe.
Where to eat today
- Arepas. Corn cakes with cheese or butter, at every bakery and street stand.
- Bandeja paisa. The regional platter: beans, rice, ground beef, crackling, egg, arepa and plantain. Huge and heavy.
- Empanadas. Fried corn pastries with meat and potato, sold on every corner. Crunchy.
Put every day of this guide in your calendar, with your dates