After 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 return to your daily routine, but you are also excited to see your procedure’s results more quickly. While rest, gentle activity, and following your post-op instructions are key, lymphatic drainage massage can accelerate your recovery. Dr. Gruszynski, a board-certified plastic surgeon in Scottsdale, is sharing what lymphatic massage is and how it can benefit you after cosmetic surgery.

What Is Lymphatic Drainage Massage?

First, 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 together 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, filtered through the lymph nodes. Waste is removed from the body as clean lymph circulates back through. When the lymphatic system isn’t moving 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 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. The lymphatic system can slow down when the body has experienced stress, such as fighting off illness, healing from an infection, or experiencing emotional stress. 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
• It 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
• It 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 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 develops thick, fibrous scar tissue under the skin, and reduces swelling and bruising. Many doctors, including Dr. Gruszynski, highly recommend lymphatic drainage after surgery for their patients’ comfort and to help them get the best possible results after their procedure.

Schedule a Consultation for Cosmetic Surgery in our Paradise Valley Office Today

At Dr. Mark Plastic Surgery and G-Spa Medical Aesthetics, we are dedicated to providing you with the best possible experience from your first consultation through your healing process. We are proud to welcome Chris Thrush,  LMBT, to our team. Chris graduated from the Phoenix Therapeutic Massage College in 2006. We are excited to 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. Gruszynski for cosmetic surgery and learn more about the procedure and recovery, call us at 480-848-2757 or fill out the form to get on the calendar with Chris.