Would buying pneumatic compression massage boots for home use, be a good idea post Tummy Tuck surgery?

I think the best idea for you to avoid blood clots in the legs following any surgery is to make sure that you get out of bed and walk around as much as possible. Without any abnormal predisposition to a hypercoagulable state, compression boots would be a very expensive and probably not very useful tool. If your surgeon had some reason to think that you were at a higher than normal risk of getting a blood clot, something more practical to do would be to get Lovenox shots at home which is a medication similar to heparin that you can administer to yourself to thin the blood. In the absence of any risk factors, I do not routinely recommend this.Good luck. I hope this helps!

Thank you for your question.I don't believe that this will be necessary.Dr. Campos

You can't go wrong with wearing the compression boots. The risk of developing a blood clot after a tummy tuck exists up t 2 weeks or so after the surgery. I dot advise my patients to use compression stockings when they go home because I do not think the benefit is worth the cost or inconvenience. However, I advise my patients to walk as much as possible and to avoid sitting in a chair. When you sit in a chair, blood will pool in your legs and pelvic veins, thereby increasing the risk of clots. I recommend my patients to spend nearly all their time either walking or lying down with their feet elvaated about their hearts to promote venous blood return to the heart.

Movement is the best.  You have identified a significant problem with abdominal and pelvic surgery in general.  We want our patients to get up and move around as much as possible.  We encourage walking.

That's a great idea, but probably not very practical one. You have a very legitimate concern being worried about a post operative blood clot. I ask all my patients to wear medical grade compression stockings for 2 weeks after surgery. Also it is very important to walk very frequently after surgery and avoid lying in bed all the time. The risk of blood clots can be assessed by your board certified plastic surgeon based on the Caprini scale and together you can perform a risk assessment. This will help identify if you need any perioperative and postoperative blood thinning. I hope that helps you. Good luck.

This is not necessary. It is all about mobility. The time you spend putting them on and lying down, is better spent moving around.If you are healthy and motivated, your recovery should be good with minimal concerns.Good luck