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Post-operative care · South Berkeley
Lipo is the one where the aftercare really shows.
Liposuction is the procedure I have worked on more than any other, and it is the one where post-operative lymphatic care makes the most visible difference. Not because drainage changes what your surgeon did, but because fluid that keeps moving does not harden, and hardened tissue is what makes a result look lumpy months later.
- Most common
- The procedure I see most
- Typical course
- A series over several weeks
- Also covers
- BBL, fat transfer, chin lipo
- First step
- A free phone call with me
Why lipo in particular
Trauma across a wide area, all at once.
Liposuction disrupts tissue across a broad region rather than along a single line. The cannula passes through lymphatic vessels throughout the treated area, and the body responds with a great deal of fluid in a space that has just lost much of its drainage.
Left alone, some of that fluid organises into firm, fibrous tissue. That is the hardness and unevenness people notice at eight or ten weeks and assume is the final result. Often it is not the final result, but it is much easier to prevent than to undo.
This is also why surgeons who care about outcomes send their patients for drainage. It is not a spa add-on. It is part of how the result settles.
What this helps with
Across lipo, fat transfer, and BBL.
Timing and positioning restrictions vary a lot between procedures, so bring me what your surgeon told you.
Swelling and fluid
The immediate reason to come. Steady work over the early weeks rather than one heroic session.
Hardness and fibrosis
The main long-term argument for doing this properly. Fluid that keeps moving is less likely to organise into firm tissue.
Bruising
Widespread after lipo and clears faster with lymphatic help.
Contour and evenness
I cannot change your surgical result, but even settling gives that result its best chance to show.
Fat transfer and BBL
Different rules, particularly around pressure and positioning. I work strictly inside what your surgeon specified.
Compression garments
I will not tell you to change what your surgeon prescribed, but I can tell you whether yours is doing what it should.
Timing
Early, gentle, and repeatedly.
Many surgeons want drainage started within the first week or so after liposuction, which is earlier than most other procedures. Others differ. Ask them, tell me what they said, and I will work inside it.
The pattern that works is frequent early visits, tapering as swelling resolves. This is genuinely a series. One session after lipo is better than none, but it is not what the work is for.
For fat transfer and BBL there are usually restrictions on pressure and on sitting or lying in certain positions. Tell me all of them. I would rather adapt the session than compromise your graft.
Worth saying plainly
Where my part ends.
I cannot change your surgical result
Drainage helps the result settle and show. It does not reshape what was done.
I do not treat seromas
A pocket of fluid that is not moving is a surgical matter. Same day, to them.
Anything sudden goes to your surgeon
New pain, redness, warmth, fever, or a change in an incision.
I will not override positioning rules
Particularly after fat transfer. Their instructions win, always.
Before you call
Questions I get asked.
How soon after liposuction can I start lymphatic drainage?
Often within the first week, which is earlier than most procedures, but your surgeon decides. Ask them and tell me what they said.
How many sessions do I need after lipo?
This is a series rather than a single visit, typically frequent early and tapering. I will give you an honest range on the call once I know the procedure and the area.
Can lymphatic drainage prevent fibrosis?
It helps, and that is the main long-term reason to do it. Nobody can promise prevention. What I can say is that preventing hardness is far easier than resolving it later.
Is it different after a BBL or fat transfer?
Yes. There are usually restrictions on pressure and positioning to protect the grafted fat. I work inside those completely, so tell me everything your surgeon specified.
Does it hurt?
It should not. The work is very light and early on stays away from the most tender areas. You tell me if anything is uncomfortable.
Do I still need to wear my compression garment?
Yes, exactly as your surgeon prescribed. I will not tell you otherwise, though I am happy to look at whether it is fitting properly.
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The next step
Tell me what was done and when.
Fifteen free minutes on the phone. Tell me the procedure, the areas, the date, and what your surgeon said about timing, and I will tell you when to start, how often, and what is normal for where you are.