POST-OP RECOVERY

Lymphatic Drainage Massages after cosmetic surgery are vital if you want your surgery results to last.

After surgery, you might be surprised that you do not immediately have the body of your dreams.

You may develop small bulges of fat that give your skin an uneven or lumpy appearance. Or you may have symmetry differences or loose skin.

WHAT IS POST-OP RECOVERY MASSAGE?

Post-Op Massage, or Lymphatic Drainage Massage, is a series of specialized massage techniques to help the healing process and aesthetic outcome after cosmetic surgeries.

These treatments integrate both medical and aesthetic bodywork principles to reduce built up fluids, decrease pain, release adhesions and enhance the contours of the body.

Treatments are broken down into 3 stages:

  1. Drain - Fluid reduction

  2. Smooth – Soft tissue remodeling

  3. Maintain – Maintenance and/or sculpting

Benefits:

  • Decrease pain

  • Facilitate lymph movement

  • Remove fluid buildup

  • Reduce swelling

  • Speed up recovery time

  • Release adhesions

  • Improve circulation

  • Smooth lumps and bumps

  • Enhance body contour

An example of a patient who did not receive Post-op Massages after liposuction

Lymphatic drainage massages can help to smooth out the appearance of lumps and reduce the risk of developing fibrosis.

WHAT POST-OP MASSAGES ARE NOT.

Post-Op Massages are NOT painful.  This is a specialized bodywork modality with strong foundations in Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MLD).

Manual Lymphatic Drainage is a gentle yet powerful technique in fluid reduction. Yes, you will feel discomfort from recovery of surgery, but it should not be a gruesome experience. As the fluid is reduced, so will the pain.

 

It is also NOT a body contouring or aesthetic service alone.  These treatments are medical before they are aesthetic.  In fact, the objective of Post-Op Bodywork is to facilitate the healing process and to help TRANSITION the body into aesthetic services.  Aesthetic treatments can be performed when the body and soft tissues have healed and recovered.  Premature aesthetic treatments can induce tissue damage and swelling which can lead to aggressive scar tissue development.

Please refer to your discharge papers from your doctor as to when you should start receiving aesthetic treatments after surgery

WHAT ABOUT FIBROSIS?

There is no need to be afraid of fibrosis after surgery but there are a few things to keep in mind when thinking about Fibrosis:

Scar tissue is inevitable.  The body repairs itself after injury or surgery by developing scar tissue.  This is a normal healing response.  The goal of Post-Op Bodywork is to help manipulate the formation of scar tissue to alleviate restrictions in the soft tissues and enhance the aesthetic outcome.

Hardening does happen and NO, it is NOT necessarily fibrosis.  The presence of hardening has more to do with the thickening of proteins and fluids built up around the tissues.  Post-Op Massages help to soften thickened fluids and facilitate the fluid into lymphatic circulation.

Timing is everything.  It is important to stick to a routine during post op recovery as this will help streamline the entire process.  There is such thing as too much and not enough.  Tissue damage and scar tissue formation can be intensified if treatments are administered too soon, too frequent, or if the wrong phases are administered too early.  The other side to this is that proper treatment is delayed for too long which can lead to dense scar tissue development.

POST-OP CAVITATION

Ultrasonic Cavitation is a highly effective procedure to help fine tune your look after surgery. Cavitation is designed to help reduce the fat bulges and pockets that remain after lipo to smooth and sculpt your body.

This non-surgical and non-invasive fat removal procedure can help you create a more toned appearance to finally achieve your esthetic goals.

Most physicians recommend a series of Ultrasonic Cavitation in conjunction with Lymphatic Drainage to help you achieve optimal results.

Benefits of Ultrasonic Cavitation After Surgery:

  • Reduces circumference in the treated areas.

  • Body contouring.

  • Blasts visceral fat.

  • Contour symmetry post-surgery.

  • Reduces lumpiness and fat deposits post lipo.