From Recovery to Results: Maximizing Your Inner Thigh Liposuction Recovery with Post-Surgical Massage

Discover the importance of post-surgical massage for maximizing your results and enhancing your healing process for inner thigh liposuction recovery. With consistent post-surgical massages, you will be well on your way to celebrating your successful inner thigh liposuction recovery and the incredible results that await. Let us dive in and embrace the process with more information on post-surgical massage and self-care strategies that will leave you feeling and looking better in no time!

Understanding the Importance of Post-Surgical Massage for Inner Thigh Liposuction Recovery

Inflammation is the body’s response to injury and plays an important role in recovery. Whether the injury is from liposuction, surgery, or an accident, the body responds the same. When tissue is damaged, the body’s immune system signals a cascade of cells to the area to stop bleeding, fight infection, and repair tissue damage. Our lymphatic system clears the once useful cells that are now waste as well as other debris and toxins from the body. This process happens continuously, with the lymphatic system cleansing about two to four liters of waste-laden fluid in a normal 24-hour period. Surgery, and especially invasive surgeries like liposuction, over-tax the lymphatic system with excessive cellular waste due to tissue repair and toxic overload from sedation and pain meds creating the perfect storm, burdening the lymphatic system and slowing it down. Lymphatic drainage therapy stimulates the lymphatic system to work faster, more efficiently processing excess fluid and reducing inflammation and swelling. Lymphatic drainage promotes healing, reduces pain, fibrosis, and seroma development, and improves scarring and tissue elasticity.

How (and When) to Choose a Post-Surgical Massage Therapist

Lymphatic drainage therapy plays a pivotal role in healing by improving post-surgical outcomes as well as reducing post-surgical pain and anxiety. When researching a massage therapist, be sure to choose someone who is certified with training and experience in post-surgical lymphatic drainage. A referral is always a good place to start, but whether you have a referral or not, reading reviews and websites can give you a good idea of someone’s experience and the work they do. Speaking over the phone is a great way to have questions answered and get a feel for your potential therapist's experience and professionalism. Typically, two to three sessions of lymphatic drainage before surgery are recommended to prep the lymphatic system. Do not, however, receive lymphatic drainage less than 72 hours before surgery. This technique increases lymphatic fluid movement as well as blood circulation which will increase bleeding, a big no-no before going into surgery. 

Researching and booking your treatment sessions in advance of your surgery will ensure you are scheduled with a qualified therapist and can start your post-surgical rehabilitation without delay. Just as highly sought-after surgeons are booked well in advance, a good therapist will be too. Lymphatic drainage can be started as early as three days after surgery but is often started with a more conservative approach at two weeks post-surgery due to the risk of blood clots and infection. Blood clots and infection are both contraindicated for lymphatic drainage as the technique can spread an infection or dislodge a clot. If either is suspected, make sure to consult your surgeon as soon as possible.

Maximizing Results for a Successful Inner Thigh Liposuction Recovery

Let's consider the essentials to ensure a successful outcome. Firstly, diligently follow the advice of your surgeon. Always wear your compression garment as prescribed. Properly fitted compression garments play a critical role in reducing swelling, fibrosis, and seromas. Make sure to maintain a healthy diet and stay hydrated. By drinking plenty of water you’ll help your lymphatic system flush excess waste more easily. Keeping your diet clean and avoiding salty, processed, and inflammatory foods is best. These basics are key factors in fostering healing and minimizing swelling. Although it’s important to move after surgery, you don’t want to overdo it. Incorporating light exercise, such as walking, will help improve circulation and lymphatic stagnation as well as reduce blood clot risk.

How Post-Surgical Massage Enhances Liposuction Recovery

Post-surgical massage not only reduces swelling, improves circulation, and promotes lymphatic drainage in the treated area; it also alleviates discomfort and tightness and encourages faster tissue regeneration, resulting in smoother, more sculpted contours. 

One scientific study written by Talon Maningas, DO, and Lindsay Sturm, DO on Manual Lymphatic Drainage in Postoperative Abdominoplasty With Core Liposuction Patients published on September 16, 2019, by the American Journal of Cosmetic Surgery assessed the benefits of lymphatic drainage by determining the amount of patients’ swelling who underwent a tummy tuck using liposuction. The experiment consisted of 20 females from the ages of 30 to 60 years old. Each woman wore a compression apparatus for eight weeks after the operation. 

During the sixth week of the study, the variable group received a lymphatic drainage massage two times a week for three weeks. The control group did not receive lymphatic massages but continued to wear the compression apparatus. To measure for swelling, each woman’s waist was measured during the sixth and eighth week after surgery. After the measurements were recorded and compared, the data showed that the variable group who received post-surgical massages had less swelling than the control group who did not receive lymphatic drainage. 

Those who conducted the study concluded that lymphatic massage after abdominoplasty and core liposuction can reduce swelling more than just compression garments. 

Self Care Tips

The most important thing you can do post-surgery is to always follow your doctor’s post-treatment protocols. Sounds easy, but you would be surprised how many people do not follow this advice. Another important tip is to make sure to schedule your lymphatic drainage therapy sessions when you schedule your surgery. This way you will get in for lymphatic drainage as soon as recommended by your surgeon and maintain regularly scheduled appointments. Too often people wait until after surgery to book appointments for lymphatic drainage only to find experienced and skilled therapists to be booked weeks in advance. 

You will also want to pick up a copy of the Plastic Surgery Recovery Handbook by Kathleen Lisson in advance of your liposuction surgery for helpful tips on preparation and recovery. An additional must-have post-surgery is  Bruizex Arnica Montana Pain Cream for Bruising & Swelling, Lymphatic Massage Cream with Aloe Vera & Tea Tree Oil. Be prepared! Your body will thank you!

Conclusion: Celebrating Your Recovery and Results

As you complete your liposuction journey, celebrate the incredible results achieved through your dedication and hard work. Continue to carry forward the healthy habits you have implemented during your recovery such as proper nutrition, hydration, and lymphatic drainage to maintain long-term success, health, and vitality.