OK Not to Wear Compression Garment After Tummy Tuck with Lipo?

The role of the compression garment is to help decrease the amount of swelling and retrain the skin that is still left.  It really helps get everything back to where you want to be alot faster.  You want the garment to be firm, but it doesn't do you any good if you do not wear it.  You will see that as you heal over the next few days to a week, the garment will fit better and you will be more comfortable.  If you opt not to wear the garment, you will probably get tthe same results, but it may take alot longer to get to that point.  You went through the hassle of having surgery, so why not do everything you can to heal up as fast and well as you can?

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 so I can confirm that it fits well.Most important advice is to listen to your surgeon, as he or she knows how much fat was removed, the elasticity that remains in your skin, and amount of skin redundancy.I recommend that my patients wear their garments for a minimum of three weeks full timethen for twelve hours at a time (day or night). If there is not a lot of redundant skin, this continues to a maximum of six weeks.To be effective, the garment needs to fit snugly—but not too tight as that can make it difficult to sleep or cause pressure problems (inspect your skin when it is exposed if you are uncomfortable). As the edema resolves it is common for patients to switch to a smaller garment that fits. A Spanx-type garment would work fine, rather than ordering one or paying more at your doctor’s office.

Compression garmnents can be important in reducing swelling and the potential for hematoma or seroma *but this controversial. Consider downgrading to a more comfortable garment rather than discontinuing it altogether.

Every American Plastic surgeon has an opinion on whether their patients should wear surgical garments after Liposuction, after Tummy tuck or not. Since YOUR surgeon was the only one in the operating room and knows what he did, HE should be the only one managing this aspect of your care. If the garment is too tight, maybe a larger, looser garment should be worn until the swelling subsides enough to allow you to wear the garment you are fighting with now?