Is there a long-term benefit to wearing the compression garment beyond 2 months after smart lipo?

Question

Nine weeks ago, I had smart lipo to my knees, outer and inner thighs and banana roll. My weight is still 5-7 pounds above what it was pre-lipo even with very clean eating and daily exercise. Will wearing the compression garment at this point reduce swelling and assist with permanent skin tightening and improved results?

Jason Emer, MD · Answer

My patients wear garments 24 hours a day for 7 days then nightly for 7-14 more days.  After 2 weeks they can exercise, that helps bring down the swelling and irregularities much more quickly.  There is no long term benefit of wearing compression beyond a few days in my opinion, but the swelling goes down much faster if you do.  Sometimes garments can cause allergic reactions and skin irritation, so be care of that long term.  Best, Dr. Emer.

Kimberly Finder, MD · Answer

No. The longer answer is that in the early days after the procedure the  garment is comforting and minimizes swelling. But after the first couple of weeks, swelling is significantly less, and my patients wear their garments for the duration that they need, based on comfort. This is influenced by swelling, of course, but there is no right or wrong regarding how long one wear's the garment. It doesn't have a long term impact on the outcome of the procedure.

Lee E. Corbett, MD · Answer

My patients tend to feel more comfortable with compression for the first 6 weeks or so but I don't think this gives them a better result. They just feel better as they return to all of their normal activities.

Navanjun S. Grewal, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question. SmartLipo is geared toward reducing your postoperative requirements. The laser energy should help reduce swelling and bruising resulting in shorter recovery times. My recommendation after I perform SmartLipo is compression garment use for 24 hours only for the first week and then at night for subsequent 3 weeks. Most patients should have virtually no swelling by 4 weeks. In addition I do not allow my patients to exercise until that 4 week mark. At 2 months I rarely see any benefit to wearing a compression garment. Furthermore the skin tightening will occur naturally as your collagen remodels.

Is there a long-term benefit to wearing the compression garment beyond 2 months after smart lipo?

Answers (4)

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