Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery
Recovery Therapy FAQ
Heal Faster. Heal Better.
Plastic Surgery Recovery Can Be Scary.
The information in this post will answer many of your questions regarding the recovery process after plastic surgery.
What Causes the Lumps and Bumps
After Plastic Surgery?
Cosmetic surgery patients often feel a hardness or lumpiness in the areas treated with liposuction. This is normal shortly following the procedure.
During plastic & reconstructive surgery recovery lumpiness is especially noticeable in the abdominal area. When combined with other body contouring procedures like fat injections, the lumps can be quite large and distressing, not to mention uncomfortable.
Post-surgical swelling (called “edema”) is inflammation caused by trauma from the cannula (the tool they use to suck out fat) moving under the skin. The cannula creates channels that can fill up with fluid following the surgery. The tissue at the surgical site also becomes swollen because surgery is a form of trauma to the tissues.
Check out this video that shows how lymphatic massage helps to reduce post-surgical swelling.
Additionally, lumps can form in areas where swelling is left standing. This happens frequently on the sides just above the hips in women where their faja (body compression suit) doesn’t conform well.
These lumps are caused by the proteins found in the fluid. These proteins, when allowed to accumulate over time, eventually form a lattice-work like structure that is much like a bee’s honeycomb. This structure is known as fibrosis.
Fibrosis can be prevented or reduced through lymphatic massage. By removing the fluid and using a bit of gentle, but deeper pressure, the protein structures can be broken down.
Read more on reducing Lumps and Bumps after Plastic Surgery here.
Why Should I Get Lymphatic Massage
Before and After Liposuction,
Cool Sculpting, Smart-lipo, or
Other Cosmetic Surgery Procedure?
What Lymphatic Massage Does
Lymphatic Drainage moves the fluid back into the lymphatic system and eventually to the blood stream so it can be removed from the body by the kidneys (peed out).
Reducing the swelling usually reduces discomfort significantly, and patients often leave appointments feeling significantly better. Read more on Reducing Swelling After Plastic Surgery here.
Without Lymphatic Drainage, the post-surgical inflammation that does not drain on its own can evolve into fibrosis (permanent hardening) or a seroma (fluid pocket) can form.
Check out how to Prepare Yourself for Plastic Surgery for information of how to make sure you rebound quickly post-op.
Recover Faster. Feel Better Today.
Book Your Appointment Now Online
505-554-5185
Question?
Send me an email or a text.
When our bodies have been injured (including through elective surgery), we do not move as much because it is painful. Movement is one of the major driving forces of our lymphatic system which is how these stabilizing cells are removed. As a result, getting rid of these stabilizing cells becomes difficult.
If these stabilizing cells are not moved away they lead to the permanent hardening of the tissue called “fibrosis.” It’s called this because it feels like a bunch of fibers under the skin – similar to a hardened sponge.
I’ve chosen a picture of a knee here because it is easier to see than on an abdomen because you can compare it to a regular knee. The process/result that happens after plastic surgery is the same. This hardening of tissue (fibrosis) can occur anywhere on the body if the fluid is allowed to sit for too long.
How Many Lymphatic Massage Sessions
Will a Cosmetic Surgery Patient Need?
In an ideal world patients would get 1-2 sessions of Lymphatic Massage and Pulsed ElectroMagnetic (PEMF) Therapy (see below) prior to their procedure to ensure that the lymphatic system is unclogged and functioning well.
Getting treatment prior to your procedure can help ensure that your tissues are detoxified and are ready of surgery, your immune system is stimulated (more white blood cells are produced and actively circulating), any pre-operative swelling is reduced.
Following the procedure, the number of treatments vary by the type of surgery and the health of the lymphatic system of the patient. Here are some general guidelines:
7 sessions for facelift or eye lift procedures.
Up to 10+ sessions for basic liposuction on the legs, knees, and flanks.
As many as 13+ sessions for abdominal liposuction or multiple procedures, especially those where fat is re-injected into the body elsewhere (fat transfer). For example, lipo and a tummy tuck, or lipo and a buttock enhancement; Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL).
Read more here about how many lymphatic massages you will need after your plastic surgery.
Recover Faster. Feel Better Today.
Book Your Appointment Now Online
505-554-5185
Question? Send me an email or a text.
About the Therapies That Help Post-Operative Plastic Surgery Patients
Put Yourself on the Recovery Fast Track
Heal Faster. Heal Better.
If you are planning on having cosmetic surgery,
check out this article on how to prep for cosmetic surgery.
If you are suffering from pain and swelling following cosmetic surgery,
give us a call and make your appointment today.
