Research • Plan It • Budget For It • Commit To It • Trust The Process
Researching Your Recovery
You have probably spent months meticulously researching consultants, scrolling through reviews, and vetting surgeons for your desired procedure before choosing the one who felt entirely right.
But when it comes to choosing a post-op treatments provider, you might suddenly find yourself completely stuck. You didn’t know you needed these treatments, you didn’t know what MLD (Manual Lymphatic Drainage) was, and you certainly didn’t know why you needed it.
Unfortunately, the reality is that many clinics leave it entirely to the patient to source their own post-op care after they have had surgery. This leaves so many patients feeling confused because they simply do not know where to turn. Feeling a bit lost, many leave it far too long before starting these treatments. And beyond that, how do you find the right person if you don’t even know what you are looking for?
How to Find the Right Practitioner for Your Recovery
Finding the right specialist to guide you through your recovery is a deeply personal choice. Let’s look at the three most common paths you might take, and how to navigate them safely:
1. A Recommendation From Your Consultant
By far, the best way forward is a direct recommendation from your consultant. It gives you that wonderful sense of reassurance that your practitioner is already deeply familiar with the unique work and style of your surgeon. Sometimes, a clinic will provide a complete Surgery and Recovery package. Even if post-op treatments are not included in your initial procedure package, going with their trusted referral means you know you will be looked after by a skilled professional who speaks your surgeon’s language.
2. A Recommendation From a Friend
A recommendation from a friend is worth its weight in gold. Friends will always recommend someone they had a truly good experience with, and they will share an honest, unfiltered opinion with you. Take the practitioner’s details, give them a call, and have a proper consultation with them to ask all your questions. Ask about their treatment protocols and their specific knowledge about the exact procedure you are having. Treat this step just like the process you went through when choosing your surgeon, so you can make a fully informed decision. Many therapists implement their own unique techniques when creating treatment plans and delivering care. By far, we are not all the same.
3. Joining Groups and Forums
Please, be very careful here. You will soon find that the information in forums and closed groups can be heavily dominated by individuals who have had a very stressful recovery. In my experience, a difficult recovery usually starts because a surgeon didn’t advise on post-op treatments, or because nobody noticed a poorly fitting garment (the wrong style or size), or perhaps a seroma was left untreated.
These are things that are easily picked up by an experienced practitioner. In the event that a post-op practitioner isn’t specifically trained in fluid aspiration, they can immediately refer you back to your surgeon for treatment–or, at the very least, ensure it gets noted on your record and closely monitored. It gives you immense peace of mind knowing you are with an experienced professional.
If you do choose a forum or group to look for recommendations, collect the names of practitioners who come highly praised and book a consultation with them. Ask about their knowledge of your procedure, their experience with these specific treatments, and their protocols. Crucially, ask if they are able to recognise the complications listed in your consent documents. That way, if anything presents itself, it will be flagged immediately and you can inform your surgeon.
Planning For Your Surgery and Aftercare
It is so important not to underestimate your recovery. Let’s make sure all your boxes are firmly ticked well before your procedure date:
Arrange Your Post-Op Treatments Early: All specialist practitioners take bookings well in advance. If you leave it until the last minute, they may be unable to accommodate you, and you risk missing out on a consistent treatment routine.
Order Your Compression Garments in Advance: This is a vital piece of “equipment” to help reduce inflammation and assist your skin with smooth retraction.
Personalised Care for Every Stage of RecoveryPersonalised Care for Every Stage of Recovery
When you are planning your healing journey, you might look at a treatment menu and wonder: Which option should I actually choose? Is it Post-op Aftercare, or should I book a Post-op Lymph Drainage/MLD session?
Let’s sit down and break it down together so you can choose exactly what your body needs.
Traditional MLD (Manual Lymphatic Drainage)
Think of traditional MLD as the gold standard in treating lymphoedema. If you haven’t come across this term before, lymphoedema is a long-term condition where excess, protein-rich fluid collects in the body’s tissues, leading to swelling–most commonly in the arms or legs. It happens when the lymphatic system isn’t able to drain fluid the way it normally should.
The skin technique we use during a traditional MLD session is incredibly gentle. It relies on a soft touch and a beautiful, rhythmic motion. This deliberate movement is designed to aid your lymph vessels, gently prompting them to carry the “lymph load” along and empty it in the direction of your nearest lymph nodes.
Your lymph nodes act as the body’s natural filtration system. Inside these nodes, a specialised army of white blood cells–known as lymphocytes–stands guard. These incredible cells attack and destroy any trapped bacteria, viruses, or waste products in the fluid, ensuring your lymphatic system (which is the absolute powerhouse of your immune system) functions exactly as it should.
Post-Op Aftercare
While traditional MLD is a beautiful foundation, our Post-Op Aftercare is much more of a comprehensive, tailored package.
We absolutely still apply those gentle, traditional MLD techniques to keep your fluid moving, but we also introduce advanced clinical techniques specifically designed for surgical healing. This package is all about actively addressing things like trapped serosanguinous fluid (that watery, blood-tinged fluid common after surgery), stubborn fibrosis (hard lumps and scar tissue), and the deep inflammation surrounding your incisions to help you heal beautifully and smoothly.
To do this, we may implement specialised therapeutic devices depending on what your body needs at that exact moment. This might include:
- Therapeutic Ultrasound: To break down early stiffness and soothe deep tissues.
- Deep Oscillation: A gentle, electrostatic field that penetrates deep into the tissues to reduce pain and swelling.
- Cupping Therapy: Gently adapted to release tight tissue layers and improve local circulation.
Beyond the hands-on therapy, we are incredibly generous with our advice and can teach you how to perform certain gentle techniques on yourself at home. The goal is to ensure you fully learn about your procedures, understand your unique stages of healing, and feel entirely empowered and looked after every single step of the way.
Did you know? I was featured on BBC’s Inside the Body Beautiful and Channel 4’s How To Lose Weight Well documentaries, alongside Dr. Grant Hamlet, a world-renowned cosmetic surgeon and VASER trainer.
** Please remember that we cannot provide medical advice and diagnosis. A doctor’s letter may be required for some of our treatments.
| Manual Lymph Drainage is a gentle skin technique applied to aid the lymph flow around the body. |
| Fluid Management – serosanguinous drainage is normal during the first week following VASER liposuction. Fluid may collect inside your body in the surgical area. This makes an infection or other complications more likely to occur. |
| Soft tissue mobilisation – to reduce muscle stiffness. |
| Massage – Myofascial release and other massage techniques can be used to loosen up scar tissue. |
| Therapeutic Ultrasound – ultrasound has a therapeutic effect on all tissues. It is used to treat deeper seated injuries, reduce inflammation, break down scar tissue, etc. And so, addressing these vital points early on in the process would give the skin a chance for more even skin retraction. |
| Deep Oscillation – widely used for treating Lymphedema and Lipoedema, it is gentle, relaxing and pleasant. |
