Is there an alternative to an uncomfortable compression garment?

Hello and thank you for your question.Wearing a garment post liposuction is essential to the outcome. However, if you are experiencing uncomfortable side effects from a particular garment, perhaps your surgeon could offer a different choice. Give him or her a call to discuss this. Best of luck!  

I certainly understand your question with the side effects you are experiencing. Compression is a vital component of aftercare for a liposuction treatment, but this certainly doesn’t mean you should continue to wear the garment you currently have if it is causing so much discomfort. I encourage you to contact your physician and share your concerns. There may be a more comfortable garment you can wear to enhance your results without the unpleasant side effects. Good luck to you on a successful recovery and positive results.

I would suggest following up with your physician to find some way to resolve the issue and improve the itchiness and rashes you're experiencing. Of course, you don't want to miss out on the advantages of your after care protocol.For best results with treatments like Smart Lipo, in addition to compression and lymphatic massage, I recommend adding a combination of radiofrequency treatments like Vanquish, truSculpt iD, Venus Legacy, Exilis Ultra for skin tightening and with ZWave/Cellutone for skin smoothing. In order to get the best results, a VASER HI DEF procedure is needed to get more contouring and definition. See an expert for a formal consultation. Best, Dr. Emer

Dear joegxrl3,
compression garments are used to reduce swelling but if they cause trouble, then they should be avoided. Every plastic surgeon has his own postoperative protocol which he recommends to his patients. I would suggest you to discuss this with your plastic surgeon.
Daniel Barrett, MD

Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

Contact your surgeon. Some fabrics suit sensitive skin better than others. Compression is great to reduce swelling, but not at all costs. There are many fabrics available.

If your surgeon included a compression garment in your post care routine, it's likely he or she did it for a reason. To see the best results, you should try to stick to your compression garment. Of course, if the pain and itching are unbearable or if you're having an adverse reaction to the material, the compression garment might not be the best course of action. Speak with your surgeon to see if they recommend an alternative material or advise you to ditch the garment altogether.

Hello there! We definitely recommend compression post-liposuction, but you may want to switch the garment material you are wearing. We typically recommend a spanx-type garment that covers the whole area treated, uniformly. It should give moderate to heavy support, but should not be uncomfortable. I would definitely discuss your concerns with your plastic surgeon. Good luck! Sarah RN BSN

We have not been using compression garments at all in absolutely every one of our patients for the last twenty-five years after they've had smart or traditional liposuction. On the other hand need to discuss this issue with your treating physician and make sure that they are in agreement with you and that you may remove your garments. Good luck from New York City

Consider a larger garment size or tucking in a soft material at the outlines of the garment.
Postoperative care after both SmartLipo and BodyTite procedures is similar. We favor 6 weeks of Compression Garmenting. The first week is with silicone coated foam compression( TopiFoam ) between the skin and the garment. The next 5 weeks, the garment alone is used with a hand sweep of the lower abdominal skin for smoothing immediately after putting it on each day. The first 3 weeks of garmenting is 22 hours per day which is reduced to 12 hours a day ( daytime or night time ) for the next 3 weeks.  Full ambulation is encouraged immediately, but return to low impact activities, such as elliptical, stair climber, exercise bike at the end of 3 weeks and higher impact exercise such as running, spinning etc. at the end of 6 weeks.

I think garments are way over-rated. there is no reason to wear garments that are uncomfortable and overly tight. furthermore, it is important to remove them for a few hours a day, to let the skin breath better etc. since you are having both rashes and itchiness, I would have you stop wearing any type of garment until your skin is healed. I doubt it will have much impact on your final result.David berman md