Excessive swelling after plastic surgery can ruin your plastic surgery results

If your skin stays stretched out from too much swelling, even if your Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon performed the best surgery in the world, your result will not be as good. Specifically, your result won’t be as tight or taut, as it could have been. So, how can you avoid excessive postoperative swelling (also known as postoperative edema)?

How you can reduce swelling

Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MLD) or Lymphatic Massage after plastic surgery is a plastic surgery hack that reduces swelling. How, you may ask. 

Let’s use a sponge as an example. After your surgery, fluid collects in the cells of your treatment area. Think of a sponge soaking up water. With compressive kneading movements, manual lymphatic drainage pushes this fluid out of the sponge (your treatment area cells), into the sink, down the drain, and into the pipes (your lymphatic vessels). These pipes then drain into other pipes (your bloodstream) that eventually empty into a reservoir (your kidneys) and you eventually pee this fluid out. 

In addition to reducing post-surgical swelling, Manual Lymphatic Drainage:

• Alleviates discomfort and soreness
• Reduces bruising and discoloration
• Enhances immune function
• Speeds up the healing process

Lymphatic massage after Plastic Surgery is especially useful after Liposuction, Tummy Tuck, Arm Lift, and Thigh Lift procedures.

To book your personalized Plastic Surgery Consult with Harvard-, Duke-, and Northwestern-educated Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Millicent Geers, please call: 719-633-5255.

For more Plastic Surgery knowledge, tips, fun facts, and before-and-after photos, follow Dr. Geers on Instagram.