Is it ok to wear an abdominal binder & compression underpants home from surgery?

Hello and thank you for your question.
It is important for you to follow all your surgeons guidelines & restrictions. Every surgeon has their own protocol. Reach out to your surgeon with any questions or concerns, Best of luck!

Dear vtgirl,
I understand your concern. It is best that you consult your plastic surgeon regarding post operative care and management (i.e including massage techniques and timing) specific to your case. Your surgeon knows your condition well and has preferences on when and what to use for faster healing and recovery. Post operative care and management depends on the type of surgery performed and the technique used during surgery among other factors.It is best, however, that you follow your plastic surgeon's advice on post operative care management for a smooth and faster healing and recovery.
Daniel Barrett, MD
Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

Dear vtgirl, Compression garments are highly essential part of post operative care. When to start using it is best explained by your treating plastic surgeon depending on the technique used. Lipofoam is needed after a high definition lipo to maintain the best contours created on your abdomen.
Thank you for your query on this platform. Have a healthy life

Every surgeon has different recommendations and comfort levels for compression of the abdomen after a tummy tuck. I place my patients in a compression garment/stage 1 faja immediately after a tummy tuck to help with post operative swelling and haven't seen any ill effects from that. However, I would follow your surgeons recommendations. As for lipo foam, I recommend this to my patients to help with any areas of irritation where the compression garment may be digging in to them to help evenly distribute the pressure to avoid contour depressions. As your swelling decreases, the compression garment can become less compressive so the addition of the lipo foam can help to increase the compression with needing to purchase an additional garment, however this added compression is moderate at best. Hope this helps!

Compression is helpful during recovery to better control swelling and provide support to healing tissues. Your surgeon will let you know if and when compression is advised for you. She/He is most familiar with your surgical plan and medical history.

All plastic surgeons I know will provide the patient with an abdominal binder after a tummy tuck and give instructions.

I don’t know any plastic surgeon who requires patients to obtain their own pressure garments after surgery.

If you’ve chosen a surgeon for your procedure then you should ask him or her what the recommendations are. If you have not chosen a surgeon then I suggest having a few in person consultations with local board-certified plastic surgeons to see what they recommend.

Best,

Mats Hagstrom MD