POST OPERATIVE CARE AND LYMPHATIC TREATMENT

Post Operative (post op) care is important to the success of any operation. Lymphatic treatment is highly sought after by cosmetic surgery patients and other surgical patients due to its reputation for helping prevent complications, easing discomfort, and ultimately helping the client achieve optimal results.

At Fluidity, Lise takes an integrative approach to post op care. Your care includes:

  • lymphatic treatment

  • compression garment/faja/foams fitting checks

  • regular check-ins between sessions

  • educated guidance through the various stages of recovery

  • progress-tracking, including photos at every session (with client consent) and progress collages

  • hands-on continuous care, including raising awareness of any potential complications to address with your surgeon

  • explanation of the anatomy involved in your surgery and recovery for you to best understand how to take care of yourself and heal

  • integrating your surgeon’s post op care plan and coordinating the surgeon when necessary

When seeking post op care, it is imperative to find a qualified provider. Lise is a Certified Massage Therapist with training through two accredited and in-depth post op courses: Brazilian Techniques by Luciana Andrus and Post Operative Care from TOSI University. She has also trained extensively in a post op clinic under the guidance of Luciana Andrus. Lise uses science and intuition to inform her work and has a vast knowledge of the post op process that leads clients to feel safe, understood, and less alone during their journey. Many clients feel overwhelmed and uncertain after surgery, but Lise’s expertise and compassion provides a grounding experience. She continues to stay up to date on the latest surgical and post op research to ensure that you are getting the best care possible! Scroll to the bottom to see how other clients have felt about their post op experience with Lise!

** Packages of 6 and 12 are available at a discounted price. **
Please contact via phone or email for more information.

The Science

The Lymphatic System

The lymphatic system is an important part of human anatomy and health! It has three functions:

  1. Collect excess fluid in your body to return to the bloodstream or process it through the lymphatic system

  2. Absorb and transport fats and fat soluble vitamins

  3. Defend against invaders (viruses, parasites, bacteria, foreign particles, etc.)

Unlike the cardiovascular system, the lymphatic system does not have a central pump. Instead, it primarily uses bodily functions like muscle contractions and respiratory movement to help keep it flowing! The whole system is connected, so disruption of one part can impact the rest.

Impact Of Surgery

Surgery, despite being intentional, is essentially physical trauma to the body. As with any physical trauma, your body responds by sending fluid to the area of injury in order to bring the area what it needs to heal and physically protect the area (just like it would for a sprained ankle!).

Typically, your lymphatic system does its job of collecting the excess fluid, however, many of your lymphatic vessels are injured during surgery. This hinders the system’s ability to carry out its standard functions and leaves patients with excessive swelling, leading to potential complications.

This disruption of the lymphatic system also means that your body’s ability to detox from foreign substances, such as anesthesia, medications, and tumescent fluid (often used in liposuction), is inhibited. This is all especially true of larger cosmetic surgeries, such as lipo, tummy tucks, and BBLs.

Lymphatic Treatment

Lymphatic treatment after surgery works to support your lymphatic function. It helps your body process excess fluid and detox foreign surgery and post-op related substances. Regardless of the location of the surgery site, the whole body is treated, including head, neck, legs, abdomen, arms, and back.

In a traffic jam, the cars in the front must be cleared in order for the rest of the cars to begin moving. The same is true for the lymphatic system- the whole system is connected, so all areas must be included (although I will focus on surgical areas).

This looks like lightly pumping your lymph nodes, then using gentle strokes to move fluid toward the nodes. Ultimately, this process helps detox your system and reduce complications that may arise from stagnant fluid, such as fibrosis and seromas. 

FAQs

  • It's very likely that I have! I have worked with clients who have had a wide range of surgeries, including (but not limited to):

    • Liposuction (abs, back, flanks, arms, legs, chin, 360, hi-def, hips, knees, neck, PAH removal, and more)

    • Tummy tuck (including muscle repair for diastasis recti and fleur-de-lis)

    • Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL)

    • Breast lifts, implants, fat transfers, and reductions

    • Face lift and neck lift

    • Body lift

    • Body contouring feminization

    • C-section

    • Gynecomastia surgery

    • Rotator cuff repair

    • Knee surgery

    • Wisdom tooth removal

    • Scar revision

    Don't see your surgery on here? Reach out via email, text, or call to chat about your operation and create a plan that best fits your needs!

  • While the number of sessions you book will depend on your surgery, for the majority of cosmetic surgeries (lipo, tummy tuck, etc.), I recommend starting with 3x per week for the first month and going from there. We will take things step by step and tailor your session set up and frequency to match your stage of recovery, intensity of surgery, and availability.

    Get in touch to set up a quick consultation call to create a plan that works best for you and your post op journey!

  • While some level of pain is inevitable given that you just had surgery, your pain should not be much higher than your base post op pain level. I use a very light touch/pressure and check in regularly with clients to make sure they are comfortable. This is for several reasons:

    • Most of your lymphatic capillaries are near the surface! Deep pressure is not necessary for impactful drainage.

    • If you were to have visible would, it would be counterintuitive to use significant pressure on those wounds to help them heal. In cosmetic surgery, the majority of the wounds are internal, but that deeper pressure can still be incredibly harmful to the healing process.

    • Deeper pressure can further injure the surgical area, sending the message to the body to send more healing fluid to an area already experiencing excessive swelling. This can lead to complications, such as fibrosis.

    • Pain puts your body in "fight or flight" mode! This stress mode hinders healing. My goal is to work with your nervous system to move you into a "rest and digest" state, in which healing can truly take place.

    Many clients show up for their first sessions feeling nervous and leave feeling relaxed and at ease. While some find work in surgical areas comforting, others may feel a strange/weird sensation as a result of the movement of fluid in an area lacking sensation (temporary numbness from disruption of nerves during surgery is common for about 1-3 months following your operation).

  • Generally speaking, you can start sessions as soon as the day after surgery! This is especially true for lipo. For surgeries like facelifts, I would recommend starting around day 3. Always consult your surgeon for their recommendations and guidelines.

  • Post op sessions do not include incisional drainage.

    It is illegal for a massage therapist to reopen incisions for the purpose of draining excess fluid because it can increase both inflammation and your risk of infection.

    In the event that you do need incisional drainage (determined by your surgeon or another qualified medical professional), it should be done by a medical professional.

  • Yes, I offer shorter, half-hour sessions for people recovering from face surgeries (chin lipo, face lifts, neck lefts, etc.). Please call or email to set up your sessions and discuss a schedule that tailored to you.

    I always recommend at least one full-body session at the start of your post op journey to kickstart your whole lymphatic system, detox from the anesthesia and medications, and calm your nervous system.

  • Please come wearing your compression garment and bring any post op instructions your surgeon gave you and any additional compression garments/foam your surgeon gave you. Every surgeon is different and this will allow me to work within your surgeon's recommendations.

    Please be sure to fill out the intake form (this will be sent to you once you have booked your appointment) prior to your appointment!

    You will also receive this information when you book your appointment.

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