​Pre/Post Aesthetic Surgery Lymphatic Drainage
Manual Lymphatic Drainage is a specialised massage technique recommended by plastic surgeons after aesthetic surgeries such as:
  • liposuctions, all types
  • breast augmentation/reduction/reconstruction, 
  • mastectomy and lumpectomy
  • abdominoplasty, tummy-tuck and BBL
  • post-cancer surgeries, radiotherapy
  • facelifts, and facial reconstructions, brow and eye lid surgeries
  • nose reshaping surgeries
  • arm reduction/lift
Frequently Asked Questions About Post-Surgery Lymphatic Drainage


When Can I Start having treatments?
Patients who had liposuction alone can start the day after surgery. For patients after tummy-tuck surgery it is recommended to start lymphatic drainage on the 5-6th day after a surgery. 

Does It Hurt?
Lymphatic drainage is typically not painful, however, since the body is inflamed you may feel some discomfort. But, at the end of even first treatment the benefits of your drainage will outweigh any discomfort you may feel.

How Many Sessions Do I Need to Heal after surgery?
Most patients will need to have 6-10 lymphatic drainage sessions in total; 3 on the first week after the surgery, then 2 treatments per week.
Why Lymphatic Drainage Massage is so important before and after surgery 

Before the surgery 
It is recommended to have 2 treatments prior to surgery, ideally starting 1 week and then 1-2 days before surgery. The increase in lymphatic flow facilitates the healing process by priming the nodes and clearing out the body’s fluids and cellular debris, cleansing future incision sites making ready to operate and keeping free from infection. A firmer, drained skin is also preferable to a surgeon when making incisions, it helps keep them even and scars heal neater after. ​

After the surgery
  • It speeds up the healing process and recovery by reducing swelling, oedema and bruising, and increasing the removal of cellular debris and other waste from the area (including free fats)
  • it reduces local and systemic inflammation
  • It minimises scar formation and the build-up of fibrotic nodules (hard lumps). By mitigating inflammation and encouraging healthy tissue regeneration, lymphatic drainage plays a pivotal role in promoting more favourable outcomes in scar formation.
  • It decrease pain, sensitivity and touch-avoidance (from the very first treatment)
  • it minimises the risk of infection by removing cellular debris and  improving the immune response (the lymphatic system plays an active role in immune surveillance, immune cell transport, and clearance).
Manual Lymphatic Drainage after Orthopaedic Surgery: Healing and Rehabilitation
MLD  became a standardised treatment after orthopaedic surgeries and sport injuries, and is regularly prescribed by majority of European top surgeons to fasten the healing and rehabilitation.  
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​The musculoskeletal system contains an extensive network of lymphatic vessels. Because of the nature of orthopedic surgery, significant trauma and muscular tightness often result, which act to restrict tissue fluid movement creating oedema, defined as excess fluid in the interstitium. Acute oedema immediately follows, brought about by a cascade of events produced by the body's inflammatory response to trauma.  Although the body's lymphatic system is designed to cope with this process to a certain degree by absorbing these proteins and emptying them into the central circulatory system, when the lymph load exceeds functional transport capacity and/or efficiency, this protein content stagnates in the interstitium. This causes incompetence of the lymphatic system and persistent edema. 
MLD treatment is designed to optimize the lymphatic system by clearing lymphatic drainage areas adjacent to the regions of edema, and develop new pathways for travel.
After experiencing a sports injury or undergoing orthopedic surgery, lymphatic drainage can be a powerful tool for quicker and more effective recovery. ​
The post-operative care is one of the most criteria to achieve best surgery outcome
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