If you are considering liposuction, the time you will have to wait before engaging in recreational scuba diving varies on the type of procedure you are going to try. The average wait between the liposuction and your first dive will usually be between three weeks and three months, depending on the amount of fatty tissue removed and which type of liposuction you opt for.

Recovery time also depends on how many areas of your body you decide to focus upon. For example, if you have three areas of your body that you feel need improvement, you could either have three separate procedures or one much more prolonged one. If you opt for the latter, you only require one period of recovery, but that period will be longer, and the procedure itself will be longer and will carry more relative risks. The risks involved with general anesthesia also increase the longer you are subject to it. If you have all three areas dealt with on separate occasions, the risks will be lessened but you will have three separate recovery periods to undergo before you can return to scuba diving

Smart liposuction techniques, which are a form of laser liposuction, have shorter recovery periods. Smart liposuction involves incisions so small that there is no need for stitches, and there is less of a need for a general anesthetic, so the recovery from this aspect of the surgery is also accelerated. Smart liposuction is most commonly used for small areas of the body, such as the chin, so recovery times are much shorter.

Vaser liposuction uses a particular kind of ultrasonic liposuction in order to perform minimally invasive procedure. Ultrasonic liposuction works by sending precisely-targeted ultrasonic waves to break up fat cells in the body so that they can be easily removed. Again, the small size of the incisions used also help speed up recovery time. However, the process of ultrasonic liposuction takes more time to complete, lengthening the time you will spend under the knife. As well as vaser liposuction, other forms of ultrasonic liposuction exist, so it is best to consult your doctor before deciding which is best for you. Typically it takes one month to recover sufficiently from vaser liposuction before you can try scuba diving, because the aftercare from the procedure involves wearing compression dressings for at least one month.

You can aid your own recovery after having liposuction by making sure that you drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration, and by resting for at least a full week before you try to return to normal life. This initial period of rest will give your body a chance to recover, meaning that your overall recovery time will improve .