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Posted on 07 Apr 2016
Compression Garments for Liposuction and Tummy Tuck Recovery
For the best results following any plastic surgery procedure, it’s important to choose your board certified surgeon carefully, discuss your goals and options very specifically, and follow your surgeon’s post-op instructions completely. These post-op instructions often include wearing a compression garment (like the zippered body girdle shown in this post) for after body contouring procedures such as liposuction or a tummy tuck. Compression garments such as these are available from Design Veronique.
Tummy Tuck Surgery Recovery and Compression Garments
Not wearing your compression garment after surgery might not seem like a big deal, but in fact, it is very important to your surgical result. We require all of our Tummy Tuck and Liposuction patients to wear this garment around the clock for the first two weeks post op.
In a nutshell, the compression garment will allow your new body shape to heal evenly and smoothly. It will prevent lumps and bumps from forming in the recovery period. This garment is essential to getting the best possible surgical result.
After the trauma of surgery, fluid from blood vessels and capillaries leak into the tissues. This can interfere with proper healing, or even cause fluid accumulations which can lead to inflammation, infection, and wound separation. A compression garment will prevent this leakage, and help prevent complications like fluid accumulations or seromas.
What’s the Best Compression Garment for a Tummy Tuck?
The right is answer is the right one for your body type and size. And because Compression Garments come in a wide-range of styles and sizes, Neaman Plastic Surgery staff will order your custom size garment, depending on your measurement. In addition to getting the ‘right size,’ quality post-operative medical garments should be adjustable. This allows us (or the patient) to further customize the garment to the new shape of the body.
Adjustable garments have a closure system using a combination of hook and eyelets overlaid by zippers. This combination allows you to release some of the compression by undoing the zipper but leaving the hooks attached if you want less pressure over a broad area. If you want a more limited area of pressure relief, you can undo a couple of adjacent hooks and zipper over.
Proper Compression Garment Fit Following Surgery
A compression garment should stay in place and not fold or form rolls. A garment that folds or rolls can cut off circulation or exert too much pressure underneath the fold or roll.
Garments with shoulder straps prevent the garment from folding when the patient sits and it will stay in place. The garment should also have a panty extension to keep the garment from rolling up. This also provides compression in the groin area and below the tummy tuck incision which can also get very swollen.
An improperly fitted compression garment can do more harm than good! If the garment has no shoulder straps and is more in the shape of an ‘abdominal band or binder,’ it runs the risk of not staying in place and creating rolls. A garment that folds or rolls can create indentations or depressions in your final surgical result! Likewise, an improperly fitted garment following a tummy tuck can even cut off circulation to the skin flap and result in healing problems.
Conclusion
By wearing the compression garment following a liposuction or a tummy tuck, you will get the smoothest result possible. Contact our office today to inquire about compression garments and schedule your consultation to learn more about the tummy tuck procedure.
Dr. Keith Neaman
Dr. Neaman is a board-certified plastic surgeon that specializes in surgical body contouring. He prides himself on being on the cutting edge of plastic surgery. He takes an informative approach to each consultation, and through open dialogue and communication, he helps his patients decide on a treatment plan that meets their needs.
