Plastic Surgery Recovery

How can lymphedema therapy benefit your plastic surgery recovery?

  • Faster healing

  • Reduced bruising

  • Pain relief

  • Reduced swelling and bruising

  • Improved results

  • Reduced complications from surgery like body contour irregularities

Lymphedema therapy recommendations to aid in your plastic surgery recovery:

  • Manual lymphatic drainage massage (MLD)- massage technique that reroutes lymphatic fluid to functioning lymphatic channels and restores lymphatic flow after a disruption during surgery.

  • Custom fit compression garments usually for about 4-6 weeks after surgery. Compression controls swelling ad promotes skin contractions.

  • Fibrosis techniques aimed to reduce complications from surgeries such as body contour irregularities after liposuction.

  • Exercise program to safely facilitate lymphatic flow and home recommendations including elevation and body positioning to improve lymphatic return.

  • Very gentle exercise, joint movement, and diaphragmatic breathing (belly breathing) *always check with your surgeon before starting a new type of exercise. It is often not recommended to participate in strenuous exercise immediately following a surgical procedure.

  • Drink plenty of water to help flush out toxins. Reducing water intake does not reduce edema!

  • Cooling techniques such as cool compress or refrigerated sheet mask

  • Dry brushing can help promote lymphatic flow. Always apply lotion after you brush!

What is manual lymphatic drainage massage?

MLD is a very light massage technique that involves a gentle skin stretching that moves fluid towards the lymph nodes so it can be processed by the organs and excreted (via urine and sweat!). You will know it is working if you want to pee after a massage.

MLD feels gentle because the lymphatic capillaries are right under the surface of the skin.

MLD can speed up healing/recovery, improve pain, increase comfort, and prevent fibrosis from forming.

MLD should not be completed:

-In areas where fat was grafted (ie BBL)

-During active infection, cancer, kidney or heart failure

-acute DVT or blood clot

Edema versus Fibrosis

Edema can lead to fibrosis. The chemical changes that occur with edema can cause good tissue to form into scar tissue, or fibrosis. This is why it is so important to manage edema to prevent fibrotic tissue from forming.

Main ways to manage edema is through compression garments and manual lymphatic drainage massage. Fibrosis can occur commonly after procedures like liposuction and can cause texture of the skin to look lumpy. Once fibrotic tissue has formed, MLD is not effective and you must use fibrosis techniques to break up tissue and make tissue soft and malleable again. Lymphedema therapists use technology and hands on techniques to break up knotted or adhered fibrin tissues. MLD and fibrosis techniques are a SLOW PROCESS and often take 5-8 sessions to see results. Do not expect results immediately.