Liposuction is a common yet intense surgery for the body to recover from. Many times, it is often performed in conjunction with a fat transfer to the glutes, hips, breasts or abdominoplasty or “tummy tuck”, making the recovery more complex.
Manual Lymphatic Drainage may assist in the recovery process after a surgery with the following benefits:
Treating fibrosis
Liposuction not only removes fat but also the microscopic lymphatic vessels in the tissues. These vessels take time to regenerate in order to return your lymphatic system back to efficient functioning. As your body sends blood and nutrients to help heal, swelling builds up and proteins, normally removed by your lymphatic system, accumulate in the tissues. Over time, these proteins become dense and hard lumps form, known as fibrosis. Although these proteins in the tissues can turn into fibrosis, they are a natural part of the healing process and generally treatable with daily compression and adding lymphatic massage to your recovery plan.
Preventing seromas
After surgery, a collection of fluid can build up under the surface of your skin known as seromas and is a possible complication from liposuction. Your lymphatic therapist can recommend a course of treatment based on your needs. Generally this requires returning to the surgeon or doctor to have them assessed and aspirated. If that is unsuccessful due to the density of the fluid, compression, foams and taping can be used to assist recovery.
Building blood vessels
When a fat transfer is performed, a portion of the fat will be absorbed by the body as it does not have adequate blood supply. A lymphatic drainage massage encourages blood flow and healthy tissue to build the new vessels.
Massage techniques
Light and deeper techniques are used depending where you are in your healing and how the tissue presents. Generally, softer swelling requires lighter pressure and as your swelling subsides and/or becomes dense, deeper techniques are used to help the body break down this protein in the tissue so it can be available to enter into the lymphatic system. Pain is stressful for the body and can reduce the function of lymphatic vessels.
In the first few weeks or acute stage of healing, more treatments are recommended on a weekly basis. As you progress you’ll need less weekly treatments. Book an appointment with our lymphatic therapists to help you build a recovery plan. We will work within your comfort level to achieve the best results from your treatments.
Paula Clark is a Registered Massage Therapist at FLOW Lymphatic Health Services.