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.

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.

there is no single good answer.  

i have had some problems with endemologie massage done less than 6 weeks .  it seemed to increase seroma.  but my experience is limited.   i think it works well after liposuction.  

i would probably wait 3 weeks minimim and 6 weeks preferred to allow for early healing. and use lymphatic massage benefit for the later healing.

Hi there-

While it would be impossible to generalize across all practioners of my specialty, I can tell you that the reason I do not recommend this treatment after tummy tucks in my practice is quite simple...

They do nothing to improve my patient's tummy tuck recovery or outcome, and they are quite painful.

This is in contradistinction to other procedures (liposuction, Brazilian Butt Lift), where I do believe the massage is helpful and shortens recovery time. 

In other words, I do not agree with the idea that these massages help the healing process after tummy tuck.

 

Hello,

One of the most important components of recovery following a tummy tuck is wearing your abdominal binder.  Taking it off for long periods of time for any type of lymphatic massage within the first week is not wise.  Gentle lymphatic massage for brief periods can be performed by you, while showering for example.  More aggresive lymphatic massage especially endermologie should be deffered until 4-6 weeks after your surgery.

All the best,

Dr Repta

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.

Dear NewMe1024,

It is not that plastic surgeons in the United States have anything against lymphatic massage, it is just the application that you are considering using it for requires some time between the surgery and the onset of the massage therapy.  For procedures such as liposuction, massage starting as soon as the patient can tolerate will help decrease the swelling and edema faster and allow for a faster recovery.  However with an abdominoplasty, the skin and fatty tissues of the abdomen are lifted up and undermined and then advanced.  The plastic surgeon then sutures the abdominal flap back down to the abdomen where it has to "reattach" itself back to the muscles and this takes time.  Anything that causes the skin and the muscle layers to shear against each other can cause pockets to form in between these layers and that can lead to a difficult problem to treat, seromas.  By allowing enough time for the tissues to re-adhere and then starting massage at around six weeks or so, the risk of developing a seroma is significantly decreased.  You can start lymphatic massage earlier at other areas such as the flanks or the legs if you had liposuction at the same time as your tummy tuck.  Good Luck with your surgery.

The answer is loss of control of patient.  This is not an ego thing.

This is a huge, complex operation with real complications.  Send the patient out to get who knows what done, and who know's what will happen.  If a complication results from an overly vigorous massage, who is at fault, and who deals with it?

If this is important to you, find a ps who works with someone who does this, and someone whom he trusts.  In any event, don't do anything without your doctor's consent.

I don't know who you are seeing but I have been using lymphatic massages for years. In a tummy tuck I recommend them after at least a week post operative.