After you have plastic surgery, particularly a body procedure like a tummy tuck, liposuction, or a mommy makeover, you want to heal as quickly as possible. You want to feel better so you can get back to your daily routine, but you also are excited to see the results of your procedure more quickly. While rest, gentle activity, and following your post-op instructions are key, lymphatic drainage massage can accelerate your recovery period. Dr. Ortiz, a board-certified plastic surgeon in Raleigh, is sharing what lymphatic massage is and how it can benefit you after cosmetic surgery.
What Is Lymphatic Massage?
First, let’s look at the lymphatic system and what it does to better understand how the massage works. The lymphatic system is the system of tissues, vessels, and organs that work in conjunction to maintain fluid levels in our body, support immune function, and keep blood circulating. The system carries lymph, a clear fluid that contains proteins, waste, fat cells, and metabolized cells through the body which is filtered through the lymph nodes. Waste is removed from the body as clean lymph circulates back through. When the lymphatic system isn’t moving lymph through the body properly, excess fluid in the body builds up, causing edema and creating a puffy, uncomfortable look and feel.
Lymphatic drainage massage was developed to treat lymphedema, a condition of accumulated fluid within the body that often develops after removing lymph nodes. A trained massage therapist can manually massage the body in a way to push lymph through the body, breaking up areas of swelling and reducing excess fluid in the body.
Benefits of Manual Lymphatic Drainage
Your lymphatic system is key to healing, regenerating tissues, and removing toxins from the body. When the body has experienced stress, such as fighting off illness, healing from an infection, or experiencing emotional stress, the lymphatic system can slow down. Manual lymphatic massage helps “re-start” the system of moving lymph through the body and can provide a variety of benefits, including:
More efficient healing from illness, injury, or surgery
Supports relaxation and relieves stress
Reduces scar formation by boosting healing responses
Removes excess water and metabolic waste from the tissues in the body
Reduces swelling and fluid retention
Improves skin quality and provides a more vibrant appearance
Why Is Lymphatic Massage Important After Cosmetic Surgery?
One of the side effects of cosmetic surgery is swelling. This is a normal inflammatory response and a part of the healing process as fluid rushes to the area to nourish it with white blood cells. Body procedures, particularly tummy tucks and liposuction, often cause additional swelling as excess fluid and fat cells will harden within a few weeks of surgery.
Lymphatic massage helps to move the fluid that’s built up and allows it to move back into the lymphatic passages where excess waste and fluid can be flushed from the body. This prevents fibrosis, which is the development of thick, fibrous scar tissue under the skin as well as reduces swelling and bruising. Many doctors, including Dr. Ortiz, highly recommend lymphatic drainage after surgery for both their patients’ comfort as well as to help them get the best possible results after their procedure.
Schedule a Consultation for Cosmetic Surgery in Raleigh Today
At North Raleigh Plastic Surgery, we are dedicated to providing you with the best possible experience from your first consultation through your healing process. That’s why we are proud to welcome Sheila Master, LMBT to our team. Sheila graduated from the Southeastern School for Neuromuscular and Massage Therapy in 2000 and has been practicing lymphatic massage since 2006. We are excited to now offer lymphatic drainage massage to our patients to improve their recovery and help them look and feel their best more quickly.
To schedule a consultation with Dr. Ortiz for cosmetic surgery and learn more about the procedure, as well as recovery, call us at 919-532-2270 or fill out the form below to get started.
