Doctor does not believe in massage after lipo. Should I listen to my doctor?

Question

I am 3 1/2 weeks post lipo abdomen & flanks. My surgeon does NOT believe in massage & says time will resolve hardness, swelling, etc. He feels massage can do damage. Should I listen to my Dr?

Nelson Castillo, MD · Answer

Thank you for sharing your excellent question.  Because your surgeon knows your full medical history, as well as exactly what was performed during your procedure, it would be best to follow their recovery instructions.  Massages have not proven to improve or accelerate healing after liposuction and can cause additional pain/discomfort, or bruising to patients.  The thought of their benefit is that they help spread the tissue swelling for faster absorption by the body.  Hope this helps.

Jason Emer, MD · Answer

Each Doctor has their own preferences. I always recommend lymphatic massage (which is very gentle) along with hyperbaric oxygen and compression to help reduce swelling. I recommend following up with your Doctor if you have questions about after care protocols. To improve your final results, I also recommend adding vanquish for further fat removal, exilis/venus legacy for skin tightening, cellutone/z wave to make the skin smooth, remove scar tissue, and improve the skin’s appearance. See an expert. Best, Dr. Emer

Sanjiv Kayastha, MD · Answer

Yes, follow your doctor's advice. If you trusted them enough to do surgery you should trust their post op advice as well. In general these factors regarding post op regimens of garment vs. no garment and massage vs. no massage have little impact on the final results. If they did, everyone would recommend the same regimen.

James McMahan, MD (retired) · Answer

Thank you for your question.  There is no evidence that massage accomplishes anything after liposuction.  Some surgeons will recommend it to their patients only to use it against them when they complain of their result saying that the didn't massage enough or do it right.  I doubt that you can hurt your result with massage and if it feels good or it makes you feel better about yourself by doing it, then go ahead.  As your surgeon said, time will resolve the hardness and swelling.

Doctor does not believe in massage after lipo. Should I listen to my doctor?

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