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Lymphatic Drainage Post-Surgery
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Most surgeons recommend lymph drainage to assist with your recovery, ensuring you achieve the best results possible from your surgery and speed up your recovery time.
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Having manual lymphatic drainage massage post-surgery can:
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Reduce your swelling
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Reduce bruising
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Speed up the healing time
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Minimise scar tissue
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Prevent fibrosis
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Help with pain management
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Prevent infection
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Aid with the elimination of waste from the area/s of surgery
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Help circulate white blood cells to improve the healing process
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Improve wellbeing and help with stress relief
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If you are having or have undergone a cosmetic procedure such as abdominoplasty (tummy-tuck) Brazilian butt-lift, brachioplasty (arm reduction), thigh-lift surgery, breast augmentation or reduction or a mummy-makeover then your consultant will almost definitely recommend lymphatic massage.
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During your surgery your lymphatic vessels are disturbed and it can take about three months for new connections to be made.
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If you have had liposuction or body-contouring, the cannula used to remove the fat not only causes trauma but can leave channels where it has been. These channels can fill with fluid and your tissues can become bruised resulting in an accumulation of blood cells.
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Lymphatic drainage will help dissipate the blood cells and also gently guide the excess fluid – lymph – to your lymphatic vessels thereby preventing a permanent hardening of the tissues, known as fibrosis, or pockets of blood from forming.
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Lymphatic massage can also be carried out before your procedure to prepare your tissue, filter out waste products and toxins, eliminate excess fluid, viruses or bacteria. I offer a full-body manual lymphatic treatment that takes 90 minutes for £75. Preparing your body for surgery by following a healthy diet, resting and reducing stress can improve your healing outcomes.
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Booking a series of lymphatic drainage massages for after your operation is believed to benefit your recovery and can help prevent infection. Infection is more of a risk where there is lymphatic congestion which in turn can put pressure on your incision lines causing healing issues.
Anyone having an operation could benefit from MLD. One study by Ebert, Jay R. et al. demonstrated that MLD used postoperatively in total knee replacement patients showed an increase in knee flexion compared to patients who didn’t receive MLD. This study also indicated that MLD helped to reduce pain.
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Some surgeons also recommend lymph drainage following surgery to the face, such as rhytidectomy, neck lift, eye lift or surgery for sagging jowls. MLD has been shown to reduce recovery time for those having face/facial lift or other facial enhancements.
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How many sessions of MLD will I need after surgery?
You should be guided by your surgeon.
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Most surgeons recommend between 5-12 sessions of lymph massage, although this will also be dependent upon your body’s healing response and the procedure(s) you have had. Someone undergoing multiple procedures such as a mummy makeover are likely to need more sessions than someone having a single procedure.
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How soon after my operation can I start MLD?
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Be guided by your surgeon. Most commonly recommended is 24 hours after your procedure, although a few surgeons suggest waiting two weeks before you start.
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You can have MLD daily however, it is best to go by your doctor’s recommendations for your post-operative recovery plan and your availability to schedule appointments.
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A common frequency is bi-weekly then extending this to weekly as the healing process continues.
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