Compression Garment Concerns After Lipo

1 week after lipo is early to get worried about anything. You still have considerable swelling to resolve. In the long run, the garment does not really matter. The garment helps with short-term swelling reduction and helps reduce pain due to shearing forces. You are not wearing a garment anyway, you are wearing a binder. You might want to consider something like a Spanx garment, which is form fitting and seamless. You will get less short-term ridging like you have from the binder. All this goes away anyway with time since it is due to short-term differential swelling. Any lumpiness is due either to your anatomy or the liposuction technique. In any case, it takes several months to see the long term results. Good luck.

Thank you for your question. Although you are sore, swollen, and in pain which is completely normal after liposuction, however, you are highly advised to wear your garment at least 4-6 weeks. Every surgeon has their own protocol. Please refer to your surgeons post op care with and further questions.

Hello picky82,
It’s a pleasure to answer your questions! Plastic surgeons have different post-operative protocols customized for every patient to achieve the best results. Based on my experience, wearing post-surgical specialized compression garments, immediately after the surgery, is an essential measure for speeding up patients’ recovery. I suggest my patients obtaining their specialized compression garments (2 of them) and one compression foam abdominal binder prior to the VASER Liposuction surgery so that they won’t have to worry about getting them after the procedure. These specially designed garments are fundamental in helping controlling swelling, bruising, and also with contouring by preventing wrinkling of the skin and enhancing skin retraction. I usually recommend my patients switching to smaller/tighter garments as days go by and they get a smaller, beautifully sculpted figure after VASER Liposuction. Since ill-fitting garments can lead to contour irregularities, I advise them about the correct method of using the garments, to limit folds and creases in them, and regularly check if they are worn properly. Nowadays, there is a vast variety of kinds and brands of compression garments available in the market. I recommend Colombian compression garments to my patients for their very high quality that meets U.S. standards and high patient’s comfort and satisfaction. Vitamin E, Ginkgo Biloba, marine algae are all micro-components that have been recently added to the Lycra lining in those garments. However, the right garment for you would be the one that provides proper support for the skin and offers the maximum possible comfort since you’ll be required to wear them all day (except for showering), for approximately 6 months. It’s always best to discuss with your plastic surgeon about the size and type of garment that fits best your specific needs. Best wishes! Dr. De La Cruz. 

It looks like your compression garment is bunching around your waist. Although I don't believe it will have much impact on your final outcome, it does exacerbate the uneven distribution of temporary swelling. You might try a different brand of compression garment for better performance.

At this time, it is way too early to assess whether lumpiness is due to localized fat, swelling, blood, or some combination of these.  From your pictures, I suspect the"lumps" are not fat, but localized edema due to uneven compression.  The garment you show is probably not really the best garment for truncal compression after liposuction. I'd recommend a pull-up spanx girdle type garment.  Your final result will be apparent as the edema resolves gradually over time; 4-6 months, minimum.

My personal opinion is that the first garment should be fitted for you in the office prior to surgery and applied in the operating room. Often it will become loose as the edema is mobilized and then it will need to be replaced. Spanx is a reasonable compression garment if it gives enough support and is the right size. I have my patents bring them in and confirm that it fits well.Most important advise is to listen to your surgeon's advice as he best knows how much fat was removed, the elasticity that remains in your skin and amount of skin redundancy.I recommend my patients wear their garments for a minimum of 3 weeks full time then for 12 hrs (day or night). if not a lot of redundant skin following liposuction to a maximum of 6 weeks. To be effective the garment needs to fit snug but not too tight as to cause pressure problems (inspect your skin if discomfort and when skin is exposed), or prevent you from sleeping. As the edema resolves it is common for patients to switch to a smaller garment that fits - A Spanx type garment would work rather than ordering one or paying more at your doctor;'s office.Liposuction requires compression garments for three main reasons:it restricts the amount of edema that forms and hastens its resolution by mechanical pressureIt decreases the amount of bruisingIt assists the loose skin in retracting or shrinking#RightSizeLipoGarment

Compression garment after liposuction can cause creases in the skin because of the uneven distribution of pressure from the garment.  I use  Topifoam under the garment to smooth the contour.  These "lumpy" areas are temporary and will resolve over the next 6-12 weeks

Confluent, even compression after liposuction is critical to a good result.  I am hard core on this issue and require my folks to wear the garment for 6 weeks.  Not all garments are created equal! Beware of ripples and folds resulting from an improperly sized garment.  They can create problems. That said, it is totally normal to feel lumpy like "a bag of rocks" at one week.  Have your surgeon check and verify your fitting and be patient.

I generally advise patients wear their garment 24 hours a day for three weeks, removing it only when bathing or washing it. From 3 to 6 weeks, wear your garment in the day only. It helps with easing swelling and reducing the risk of seroma. The garment should fit snugly but not to the point that you can't breathe or are feeling sore.  It's best to follow your PS's advice or express your concerns directly to them so that they may respond. 

Compression garments and binders
are frequently utilized to manage swelling and edema following liposuction
procedures. This procedure creates a series of tunnels as the liposuction
cannula is passed repetitively through the subcutaneous tissue. Compression
garments collapse these tunnels and increase comfort, decrease swelling, and
help remodel the soft tissue.

It’s not unusual for these devices
to create ridges, ripples, and waves in the soft tissue. These ridges aren’t
related to underlying structural fat, but instead to localized areas of edema.
These ridges rapidly respond to repositioning of the compression device and
massage.

The use of compression devices
needs to be individualized from patient to patient. In the majority of patients,
compression garments are worn for 2 to 3 weeks following surgery. This
represents the period of peak swelling. Although these devices decrease
swelling and increase comfort, they have a potential
downside. For this reason, it’s important to have your progress monitored by
your plastic surgeon.

Like Dr. Marosan a couple of posts above me, I'm a great fan of topifoam (or epifoam). I also recommend Spanx after the first couple of weeks.
The skin heals best when it is "splinted" and under compression. The epifoam protects against creases when sitting or moving around and concentrates the pressure in an even form over the liposuctioned area. The garment should extend above and below the liposuctioned area. I prefer those with straps over the shoulders as they keep the garment really "in place".
As to the question of Vitamins and Aspirin, that is really meant for PREOPERATIVE precautions. Both Aspirin and some types of multivitamins (especially those containing herbal supplements) can cause increased bleeding tendency. Post operatively, don't worry.