I did a lymphatic massage after 4 days of my Tummy tuck. Now I'm worried. Should I be worried? (Photo)

Question

I got 2 lymphatic massage after 4 days of my TT. Should I be worried?

Gary Lawton, MD, FACS · Answer

Lymphatic massage is hockus pockus at the very best. Leave your abdomen alone.After tummy tuck surgery, I advise the patients to take two weeks off from work. The patients may return to work, but may not engage in any strenuous activity. At two months, the patients start low impact cardio. At three months they can engage in more strenuous physical activity. If anything hurts or causes swelling, we ask them to back off somewhat. If you exercise or do some particular activity that results in pain or swelling you are doing too much for your personal recovery at that time. Not everyone heals the same. You need to make sure that you don’t cause more swelling. Fighting the swelling or working through the pain will certainly backfire. I prefer the patients to stay in town for two weeks if they from more than 2-3 hours away. I do not allow patients to fly before 2 to 3 weeks at the very minimum.

Dallas Buchanan, MD · Answer

Thank you for your picture and questions. It looks as though you have a nice result and I see no evidence that anything has been compromised. That being said, it is probably not wise to add something to your recovery that was not authorized or recommended by your surgeon. I would call your surgeon and discuss your concerns. It might also be helpful to be seen for an exam to make sure everything is ok.Best of luck!

Nicholas A. Flugstad, MD · Answer

You are very recent from your surgery and this can be best answered by your surgeon. I don't allow my patients any kind of massage for several weeks after tummy tuck. Massaging too early can disrupt healing or create additional fluid collection in your surgical site. You are probably fine! But your surgeon is your guide.

Bradley Remington, MD · Answer

Hello.  If I understand you correctly, you had two lymphatic massage sessions beginning four days after your tummy tuck.  Typically, lymphatic massages use very light pressure to encourage lymphatic drainage/swelling to resolve quicker.  I see that you have two drains still in place in this photo.  I would think there would be no reason to be worried at this point.  I would refrain from further massages for at least a few weeks, as they may be uncomfortable and I would think not be all that helpful.  You can also ask your plastic surgeon for further guidance about the correct time to begin these treatments.  I wish you a speedy recovery.
Cheers,
Brad Remington, MD

Donald W. Hause, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question. Judging from your picture, it appears your doctor did a nice job. However, unless the lymphatic massage you had was done under the supervision of your surgeon, it is probably not the best idea to add anything to your postoperative routine that they don't know about and/or prescribe. Remember that your ultimate result is a team effort between you and your surgeon. The surgeon is the coach and you need to follow their advice to insure the best possible result.

I did a lymphatic massage after 4 days of my Tummy tuck. Now I'm worried. Should I be worried? (Photo)

Answers (5)

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