How Many Days After a Tummy Tuck Can a Person Start on Lymphatic Massages?

If you are talking massage to other areas than your tummy, then as soon as you feel like it. But…remember, the skin on your abdomen was lifted up (undermined) and then pulled tight. It needs time to “stick” back down to the tissue underneath and any stretch, pulling or pushing on that skin can only delay that process and possible lead to seroma. So I would wait until that skin has been given time to adhere, probably close to 6 weeks.

Thank you for the question.

I would have no problem with gentle prophetic massage provided by expert  providers starting around 2 weeks after surgery. It would behoove you to check with your plastic surgeon before proceeding.

Best wishes.

Major lymphatic drainage channels from lower abdominal skin to inguinal lymph nodes are completely disrupted during abdominoplasty.  This contributes to significant lower abdominal edema (swelling) after abdominoplasty.    Whether or not complex decongestive physiotherapy (lymphatic massage) accelerates resolution of this swelling and/or speeds up restoration of normal lymphatic drainage is unknown.  There is no scientific proof (prospective randomized double blinded controlled trial) of the benefits of lymphatic drainage in this setting.  However, there is no proof that lymphatic drainage does NOT help either, so as long as your surgeon agrees, no harm in trying.