Manual lymphatic drainage and proper garment wear is key for reducing fibrosis after cosmetic surgery.

One of the most common secondary effects of surgery is fibrosis. Many people notice it some weeks after the surgery or during the post-op. At first, you may feel some lumps on the scar tissue, and then you will notice that they get thick and hard, and you may feel pain in the area. To avoid fibrosis development its very important to start your post-op manual lymphatic drainage (MLD) as soon as possible, to wear your garment 24/7 and to have the right compression to prevent the accumulation of fluid in order to heal properly and faster.

What is fibrosis?

After any type of surgery, the skin can build up adhesions and scars as part of the healing process. However, the body can abnormally increase the production of Fibroblast (a main connective tissue cell present in the body) in the form of bands which connect two or more tissues causing hardness under the skin.

Your wounds heal in stage. The healing process starts the instant your surgeon makes the incision. The acute stages of coagulation can take minutes or days, whereas the proliferative and remodelling stages can take days, weeks or even more. Although various cell types are involved in fibrosis, it’s the fibroblast the main character when we talk about wound remodelling and collagen disposition. Fibroblast plays an important role in creating and remodelling this extracellular tissue and in some cases; this excess fibrosis tissue can be painful or disturb your body functions.

In other words, fibrosis is a set of imperfections that you can observe after liposuction and are described as painful hard lumps under your skin where liposuction has ben done. It can also appear as large pores, tissue discolorations and uneven areas.

What are the risk factors of Fibrosis?

Some risk factors are:

  • The size of your scar. When the scar is big there are more possibilities to develop fibrous tissue.
  • Genetics. There are people who are prone to develop fibrosis even when having small cuts; they can develop big scars (keloids)
  • Lack of movement. Sitting for long period increases the risk of fibrosis. Remember you need to move every hour for 5 minutes after your surgery and increase exercise as soon as you start feeling better.

What are the symptoms of fibrosis?

Fibrosis post-op is characterised by:

  • Feeling of a radiating pain, in some cases it could be constant or get worse in some postures.
  • Thick and hard skin added to your scar tissue.
  • Uneven skin.
  • Local pain around the incision.
  • Numbness or loss of light touch sensation.
  • Pulling sensation on the area as you try to move or stretch.

How is fibrosis diagnosed?

The best way to diagnose fibrosis is through palpation of the area treated therefore, check the tissue daily. Talk to your surgeon of MLD therapist if you think you have developed fibrosis.

What is the best treatment for fibrosis?

Once you have developed fibrosis you need a combination of treatments to achieve better results such as: Manual Lymphatic Drainage , myofascial massage, osteopathy and prescribed stretches.

Lymphatic Drainage, unlike some other forms of massage, it uses very light pressure, combined with soft pumping movements to drain the excess of fluid from the affected area towards the lymph nodes.

After surgery your lymphatic system becomes suppressed. Therefore, the lymphatic system is not filtering properly, causing you pain and fluid retention.

Manual Lymphatic Drainage also allows fresh nutrients such as blood supply, oxygen, vitamins and minerals to nourish your cells, at the same time, it reduces swelling, bruising and fibrosis; it helps in the scarring process and alleviates pain.

Daily or drainage up to 3 times per week. Drainage is important to relive pain and drain excess of fluid and speed up recovery. Our fibrosis treatment is designed to help you recover fast and help reduce scar tissue and uneven skin. The treatment is tailored based on your needs.

No matter what stage of recovery you are in, post-surgery treatment will help you to achieve best results.

We hope this information is useful for you. If you need more information about it or any of our treatments, please contact us. We are always happy to help and advise you.

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