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 surgeons post-op instructions completely. These post-op instructions often include wearing a compression garment like the zippered body girdle shown above, which is available from Design Veronique.
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! I ask all of my patients to wear a compression garment after their Liposuction and/or Tummy tuck surgery.
a compression garment is very important to your final surgical result
A compression garment is similar to a girdle or Spanx. I require all of my Tummy tuck and Liposuction patients to wear this garment around the clock for the first two weeks post op. This garment is essential to getting the best possible surgical result.
What does a compression garment do?
In a nutshell, the compression garment will allow your new body shape to heal evenly and smoothly. It will prevent lumps and bumps forming in the recovery period.
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.
To get the most out of the compression garment, I also insert Topifoam pads.The use of topifoam pads inserted between your skin and the compression garment with help you achieve the smoothest possible surgical result. In the photo below, the topifoam is the white pad under the black garment. This combination will keep the tissues in place and help the skin to mold to the tissue below in an even distribution.
What is the best type of compression garment for a Tummy tuck?
Compression garments come in a wide range of styles and sizes. My staff will order your custom size depending on your measurement. However, in addition to getting the ‘right size,’ quality post-operative medical garments should be adjustable. This allows me, or my 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.
How should a compression garment fit?
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. 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.
Why is it important to have a good fit?
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.
Proper garment and fit for the best surgical result
In summary, make sure you get the right kind of compression garment and make sure it fits properly! By wearing the compression garment following a Liposuction or a Tummy tuck, you will get the smoothest result possible.
