Post-Surgical Massage

Because cosmetic surgeries have become so widely accepted across the U.S., many people forget that it is still a major undertaking for your body. There are many different kinds of plastic surgery, such as tummy tucks, breast lifts, liposuction, facelifts, and many more. One thing that can help to promote faster healing and smooth recovery is post-operative massage.

Among the benefits of post-operative massage therapy include:

  • Improvement in healing time.
  • Reduced inflammation and minimization of soreness or pain.
  • Prevention of subcutaneous fibrosis .
  • Prevention of capsular contracture after breast augmentation.
  • Minimization of bruising.

After plastic or cosmetic surgery, the body is susceptible to physical pain in the underlying tissue, joints, and muscles. Post-operative massage therapy can be beneficial to speed up the recovery process, while reducing inflammation and minimizing soreness or pain after surgery. There are several different types of postsurgical massage, depending on your cosmetic procedure.

Post-operative Lymphatic Massage

What is a post-operative lymphatic massage at Southwest Plastic Surgery? You already may be familiar with massages, which are manipulations done by a professional who uses their hands for therapeutic purpose. After two or three weeks of any kind of surgery, an individual may build up liquid that may harden and result in fibrosis. The surgeons at Southwest Plastic Surgery recommend the lymphatic drainage massage to help prevent this occurrence. Manual massage activates the lymph nodes and improves lymph flow throughout the patient’s body, which eliminates bruising, improves circulation, and ultimately helps the healing process; with fewer scars.

Your lymphatic system is an essential part of your immune system, so if it is not functioning adequately then it may lead to other more serious health problems. Postsurgical massage releases inflamed muscles and tissues in the areas that the procedure has been performed by alleviating accumulated liquid. People need to be aware of the benefits of a postoperative lymphatic massage after an esthetic surgery towards the greatest result.

You may discover these surprising benefits:

  • Disappearance of bruising after only a few days
  • Healing in half the time
  • Prevent subcutaneous fibrosis liposuction
  • Elimination of pain
  • Tissue reconstruction in less time
  • Reduction of inflammation
  • Less bumpy, more normal shape in the area of surgery
  • Release of endorphins to promote pain relief and provide relaxation
  • Support the immune system by stimulating the central nervous system
  • Provides more skin flexibility

Post-operative lymphatic massage at Southwest Plastic Surgery can begin right after week one following a surgery depending on your physician’s referral; moreover, we make sure you meet all of the post-surgical follow up requirements. You will be surprised by the amount of healing you can achieve from lymphatic drainage massage!

When combined with a healthy diet, you may see rather favorable results and the lymphatic massage can help to ward off other problematic qualities such as:

  • Stress
  • Cellulite
  • Wrinkles
  • Hair loss
  • Under eye circles
  • Soreness in areas such as hands, legs, back

Most of the patients who opt for this additional service are very pleased with the remarkable difference it makes in the healing process.

However, not all patients are good candidates for lymphatic drainage massage, if they have any type of acute infections, thrombosis, low blood pressure, hyperthyroidism, certain types of asthma or malignant tumors. Dr. Agullo can discuss the postoperative lymphatic drainage massage with you during your consultation to determine if you are a good candidate for this beneficial postsurgical procedure.

What is the lymphatic system?

The critical function of the lymphatic system is now more readily acknowledged as a means to improve our overall health and well-being. The lymphatic system absorbs fluid, macromolecules, microorganisms, toxins, waste products and foreign substances from the interstitial tissue. Numerous substances (electrolytes, proteins, hormones, toxins, debris) and immuno-competent cells (lymphocytes, macrophages) pass through the regional lymph nodes, where this fluid is filtered, purified and concentrated.

The lymphatic flow can stagnate for many reasons, such as swelling, chronic inflammation, lack of physical activity, stress, fatigue, emotional shock, age, poorly fitted brassieres, or brassieres worn for an excessive amount of time. When lymphatic circulation slows down, the regeneration of cells becomes less effective. This condition allows toxins and proteins to accumulate around the cells, causing cellular oxygenation to decrease and tissue regeneration to diminish.

Who Can Perform Lymphatic Massage in El Paso?

Here at Southwest Plastic Surgery we have a licensed massage therapist who is trained to perform massage therapy and can perform Lymphatic Drainage Massage.

Specific Types of Post-surgical Massage Treatments

Southwest Plastic Surgery of El Paso, TX and Las Cruces, NM has a professional licensed massage therapist who gives custom post-surgical massage therapy for patients who opt for this treatment. If you want to get back to your top condition faster, the lymphatic massage is a perfect complement.

Cosmetic surgeries such as tummy tucks, liposuction, breast augmentation, blepharoplasty and other plastic surgeries are of major consequence, but people are often so happy to go through with the procedures that they forget that it is a major undertaking. A post-surgical massage can make a major impact in your level of comfort while healing.

The most common types of massage therapy at Southwest Plastic Surgery are:

  • Southwest Postsurgical Liposuction Massage:

    After liposuction, a postoperative massage involves a few comfortable maneuvers which combine deep and continuous pressure throughout the areas in which cellulite has been removed. This allows the remaining liquid to evacuate.

  • Southwest Postsurgical Mammoplasty or Breast Augmentation Massage:

    After a breast augmentation, massage helps to reduce encapsulation, muscle spasms and aid with breast reconstruction. The technique combines lymphatic drainage to the supraclavicular and axillary regions. With a breast prosthesis, massages help the breasts return to normal. Any woman who is worried about losing breast sensitivity should try the massage because it has been shown to speed up the normalization of breast sensitivity. This form of mammoplasty or breast augmentation massage can begin early post-surgery and should be done by the patient with the guidance of a professional.

  • Southwest Postsurgical Abdominoplasty or Tummy Tuck Massage:

    For the first week, only the lymphatic drainage portion of the massage will be performed manually, and then after the first week following your surgery you can commence deeper pressure in the abdominal region. When combined with liposuction, the drainage massage can be performed by the second or third day, with deeper lymphatic drainage by the second week. Rather than a deep pressure, the therapist will use a smoothening technique combined with dressings used to amplify the healing process. These also help you to regain skin elasticity and sensitivity in the area that the surgery has been performed.

Talk to Dr. Agullo about which plan would best fit within your needs and budget. If you have been a patient of ours recently and want to learn more, please contact us today, or if you are a new patient considering how to make the most of an upcoming tummy tuck, lipo, breast augmentation, or any other type of body-enhancing cosmetic procedure, please ask about the many benefits of postsurgical massage!