What are the risks of not wearing a compression garment after a BBL? My surgeon “does not believe in them” for his patients.

Question

Should I be worried about not wearing one AT ALL? My surgery is soon and I cannot find any info on the risks of not wearing one. I am afraid of swelling and not keeping the shape since I am reading it’s a MUST. I will have a further discussion with my Doctor, but I am over analyzing since I can only find research on the “amazing benefits”. The first discussion we had he said there could be lumps, but I thought that could be resolved with foam. Any reassurance will help tremendously :)

Richard Nadal, MD, FACS · Answer

Hi and welcome to our
forum!
A compression garment
is worn after surgery to control swelling and prevent bleeding. It does
not result in reshaping, but may prevent hematoma or seroma. Some surgeons
recommend use for 4-6 weeks, some longer, some shorter. Some do not recommend
compression at all. Every plastic surgeon has his / her unique protocol for postoperative
care based upon a lifetime of experience with what has worked best in the
past. 
In my experience, I think it may prevent hematoma or seroma in a small percentage of patients.
Follow your surgeon's recommendations.
Best wishes...

Daniel Barrett, MD · Answer

Dear Gentle9204,
I understand your concern. It is best that you consult your plastic surgeon regarding post operative care and management (i.e including massage techniques and timing) specific to your case. Your surgeon knows your condition well and has preferences on when and what to use for faster healing and recovery. Post operative care and management depends on the type of surgery performed and the technique used during surgery among other factors.It is best, however, that you follow your plastic surgeon's advice on post operative care management for a smooth and faster healing and recovery.
Daniel Barrett, MD
Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

Carolina Restrepo, MD · Answer

Thanks for your question. I  have my patients wear a compression garment (faja) covering all treated areas 24/7 except to shower for 4 weeks post op.  This helps ontrol swelling as the compression on your tissues helps your body to reabsorb the edema fluid that accumulates in the tissues after any procedure. This can take quite some time to happen without help from the compression garments.  It also helps improve  contour.  Compression helps to keep the tissues adherent to the underlying structures while healing, this can help prevent the wrinkled skin appearance that can happen when the tissues heal in ways we don't want them to.

Kenneth Hughes, MD · Answer

I do not recommend a garment or faja that is extremely tight over the buttocks. I typically ask patients to use an adjustable garment with multiple bands so that tension can be adjusted and the areas of liposuction are less likely to get a fluid collection and to help obliterate dead space.   The garments typically do not cover the buttocks.  The key here is the size and the ability to tighten the garment, not the brand or make.  In my practice, the compression garments are provided as part of the BBL post op package.  Your PS is responsible for your recovery so follow his/her post operative instructions for the best result.

Stephen M. Davis, MD, FACS · Answer

Thanks for writing,You are over analysing, trust your surgeons and his / her results. All of us have little things we do that we believe offer us a good consistent and reliable result. Some like garment, some don't. Some feel it helps swelling, some don't. Some feel it controls fat position, some don't. Talk to your surgeon, look at his / her results, speak to patients. Your surgeon and you will make the right decisions. Good luckStephen M. Davis, MD, FACS
Certified: American Board of Plastic Surgery
Member: American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery
Member: American Society of Plastic Surgeons
Member: RealSelf Hall of Fame
VERIFIED: Plastic Surgeon

Tania Medina de Garcia, MD · Answer

Hello dear!!
Thanks for the question and provided information as well.
Each doctor has their own protocol It is very important that you talk to him and follow his instructions.
I suggest my patients to use a full body compression garment, 24/7 for the first 3 months, and after that, for 12 hours a day for 3 more months, to get the best results.
It is important for the compression garment to be very tight, for it to help with the swelling, after surgery.
If you have any concerns, please follow up close with your plastic surgeon.
Good luck :)

Mats Hagstrom, MD (license on probation) · Answer

in my opinion your surgeon is correct.  There are no amazing results or benefits from wearing compression garments. There is zero scientific evidence that they serve any purpose whatsoever.  The number one reason plastic surgeons use compression garments is because everyone else uses compression garments.  Are use them because if I didn't my patience would be posting on real self questioning my judgment.  That is why I personally use of compression garments.  Swelling is part of surgery and has nothing to do with your final outcome.  If someone can explain how they can physically alter live tissue in your body by wearing compression garments then I'm all game for believing that these have a real place.  They're great at holding absorbent pads over the many tiny openings we make for the procedure.  That is a second very real advantage of using them.  You'll find a plastic surgeons differ quite a bit on this topic but all opinions are based on hearsay or personal observation.  Since plastic surgeons who use compression garments really don't have experience not using them they don't have a first-hand experience of what the difference is.  I have nurses I've worked with for years. We do liposuction procedures on a daily basis. Many of them never wore their compression garments and the results identical to everyone else.  I'm a board-certified plastic surgeon with 20 years of experience. For the last 10 years my practice was devoted exclusively to liposuction and fat transfer procedures. I no longer perform any other surgical procedure except liposuction and fat transfer.  To date I've performed over 7000 liposuction procedures.  That makes me one of the more experienced providers in this field but that does not necessarily make my opinion worth more than others.  If your provider does a good job with the procedure, can make a good assessment and convey actual results that are achievable then everything will fall into place.  I've said this literally thousands of times before. There is only one single variable that determines outcomes from liposuction and that is who does the procedure.  It's not the equipment it's not the laser or the VASER  or the compression garments. It's how the procedure is performed during surgery.  That is the one and only single variable that determines each individual's outcomes.  There is a second variable and that is the candidacy of each individual patient.  And experienced plastic surgeon can predict results with a high degree of accuracy through a thorough assessment.  Once this procedure has been mastered there's no guesswork involved. Everything is highly predictable.  Best, Mats Hagstrom MD

What are the risks of not wearing a compression garment after a BBL? My surgeon “does not believe in them” for his patients.

Answers (7)

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