What people say
Important
This treatment:
– doesn’t involve re-opening sutures or surgical holes to drain the fluid and push plasma and blood out of those holes.
– can be delivered from approximately a week after surgery.
Lymphatic Massage as a post-operative treatment
For Non-Cosmetic Surgeries
- Hip replacement
- Knee Surgery
- C – Section
- Etc.
For Liposuction and Plastic Surgeries
- Vaser Liposuction
- Abdominoplasty (Tummy Tuck)
- BBL & Lipo 360
- Submental Vaser Lipo
- Etc.
Treatment
Plastic surgeons often recommend lymphatic Drainage Massage. In addition, they suggest patients take sessions to help to speed up the recovery phase after surgery. This treatment aims to reduce the swelling and fibrosis produced after a surgical procedure. I offer a combination of techniques to decrease the recovery time and to get better results.
Tecar therapy can be included as part of MLD post surgery 3 to 5 days after surgery to reduce swelling, inflammation and pain and to prevent and treat fibrosis.
Scar treatment: Direct application on the scar is safe once it has completely closed and there are no signs of infection, typically 4–6 weeks post-surgery.
Phase 1
Lymphatic Drainage Massage
This phase is the most important treatment during the first few weeks after the surgery.
Phase 2
Scars and fibrosis breakdown and remodelling
This phase happens when the swelling, pain and inflammation are gone, and the scar has healed properly.
Why Lymphatic Drainage Massage is so important after surgery
Swelling oedema
When the body suffers from trauma, cells in the areas of the injury that causes the trauma will release chemicals that will affect the absorbency of blood vessels. For example, surgery, although controlled, causes trauma. Because of the decrease in absorbency, white blood cells, lymph fluids and other chemical substances contribute to the healing process.
This process is known as inflammation or oedema. Excessive fluid or localised pockets of fluid may slow recovery and make the results less aesthetically optimal by encouraging uneven healing and fibrosis, leading to a slower recovery process, painful that could result in health complications.
Uncontrolled swelling could create other complications, such as small pockets of fluid becoming trapped (‘serum’) and infection.
Lymphatic Drainage Massage helps by increasing the rhythmic contractions of the lymph vessels and stimulating the lymph nodes to redirect diverted lymphatic fluid.
Fibrosis
The natural inflammatory response that happens when the body is injured, including by surgery, is initially a good thing because it helps to protect us from further damage. What is happening is that specialised cells rush to the area to help stabilise the tissue.
If the body is healing normally, these specialised stabilising cells and cellular debris are gently removed, and normal function is restored. However, when lymph flow is compromised, such as during post-surgery, the accumulation of these stabilising proteins can be significant, causing lumps to form, known as fibrosis. Excessive fibrosis may be noticed to the touch or be visible. Lymphatic Drainage Massage can prevent or reduce fibrosis by removing the built-up fluid, helping with problems related to restriction of motion and sense of tightness. In addition, post-Surgery MLD helps break down the accumulation of large protein structures while simultaneously restoring the lymphatic flow.
Scaring
Over time, after surgery, those lymphatic vessels that were cut during the procedure will rebuild. However, when scar tissue develops, it can interfere with the correct function of these vessels, leading to swelling pain, numbness and reduced range of motion. If not treated, despite some scars will decrease over time, others could be permanent. This is why Lymphatic Drainage Massage is so important, as it will help heal the damaged lymph vessels and redirect and reroute the lymph fluid.
Frequently Asked Questions
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