Why do you need compression garments after plastic surgery?
Charlotte plastic surgeon
After you have plastic surgery, your recovery period is crucial. The actions that you take during the first few weeks after your procedure can have a significant impact on your healing, which ultimately affects the quality of your results.
It’s very common to be given a compression garment to wear after a surgical procedure. This can make a huge difference in how your body heals. Why is it important to wear your compression garment? How often should you wear it, and for how long? What effect does a compression garment have on your results from plastic surgery?
Compression garments reduce swelling and bruising
A compression garment is stretchy and relatively tight, and is worn over the area where you had surgery. For example, after breast surgery, you will wear a compression bra (similar to a tight sports bra). After a tummy tuck, you will wear a compression garment around the abdomen. The intent is to put gentle pressure on the area, which is helpful for a few reasons.
After surgery, your body’s healing response will be activated. As a result, blood flow to the area will greatly increase. When this happens, fluid tends to build up in the tissues. This is what leads to swelling after surgery. Although this process is normal, it can cause damage if too much fluid accumulates. The excess fluid gets in the way of wound healing, and also causes discomfort. Too much swelling can also stretch out the tissues while your scar is forming, which can ultimately lead to a wider and more noticeable scar.
It’s important to limit the accumulation of fluid in order to support the body’s healing process. This also helps to relieve pain and discomfort during your recovery period. By putting gentle pressure on the area, a compression garment helps to reduce the amount of fluid that makes its way into the tissues, and also encourages your body to reabsorb any fluid that does start to accumulate. This helps to support the healing of your incision, so you end up with a scar that’s as discreet as possible.
In addition, any surgical procedure will lead to some bleeding in the area. Because blood can actually cause tissue irritation, it can also interfere with wound healing. In addition, blood that makes its way up to the surface of the skin is visible as a bruise. The pressure created by a compression garment helps to reduce the amount of blood that leaks into the tissues. It also helps to keep any blood contained to the area where it originated, instead of spreading further. This speeds up your healing, increases your comfort, and further supports the creation of a discreet scar.
How often should you wear your compression garment after plastic surgery?
In general, you’ll wear your compression garment full-time for the first one to three weeks after surgery. You can take it off to shower (although it’s important to ensure that you’re careful not to get your incisions wet before they’re fully closed), and to wash the garment. Other than that, you’ll want to wear it all the time. The more you wear the compression garment, the more benefit it will have.
After the initial healing period, you can transition to wearing the garment only at night. Continuing to do this for several more weeks is beneficial to your body’s healing process.
Although the compression garment isn’t always comfortable, it shouldn’t be painful. Let us know if wearing your garment hurts – you may need a larger size. Similarly, if your garment feels loose or isn’t providing compression to the area, then you may need a smaller one. Make sure to stay in touch with our office so we can help to ensure that you have the right compression garment for your body.
Charlotte plastic surgeon
When you have your procedure, you’ll receive detailed instructions from us about how long to wear your compression garment full-time, and how long to continue wearing it at night. Make sure that you come to all of your postsurgical appointments, so we can assess how your body is responding and adjust if necessary. Some people may need to wear their compression garment for a longer time than others – it just depends on your body’s individual healing process.
If you’re interested in having plastic surgery, it’s important to choose a skilled and experienced plastic surgeon. Although supporting your healing is important, the surgical technique used during the procedure also plays a crucial role in determining the quality of your results. As a double board certified plastic surgeon, Dr. Miles is able to create incredible results for his patients. You’ll know that you’re in good hands with him. Please contact our office to set up your consultation appointment.