Post Surgical Nutrition

Great liposuction or cosmetic surgery results depend not only on your surgeon’s skills but also on your pre-operative condition and your determination not to slack off after surgery. Before considering a bit of nick and tuck, make sure you are in tip top shape. Try to be as physically fit as you possibly can to decrease your post-operative recovery and enhance your new appearance. Eating nutritionally dense food and staying away from sugars, sweeteners and other carbohydrates will minimize bloating and inflammation. Taking supplements if you are not sure you are getting enough vitamins, minerals and building blocks from your diet is smart and will boost healing and immunity.

Post-Surgery Nutrition

Depending on your anesthesia, you may be allowed to eat shortly after surgery or advised to stay off food and liquids until your gastric motility returns to normal. In short, if you are able to hear your stomach rumbling, then you can have a bite to eat.

Healing Fast, Healing Right

Bloating can be minimized by limiting salt and soda intake post-op. It is best to avoid colas, drinks with added sugars and caffeine (especially after breast surgery). Your goals are typically two-fold:

1. Boost healing with sound nutrition
2. Maintain the ideal post-op weight

During the first few days after surgery, it is important to keep yourself well-hydrated. Fluids are needed to kick the healing process into high gear. At this point, the fluids draining out of open sutures are mostly those that were introduced during surgery (especially in the case of tumescent liposuction). Compression garments will aid in expressing the fluids out and promoting better skin-to-tissue adhesion.

Assist your recovering system by opting for fruit or vegetable smoothies on a base of water, juice, milk or soymilk. Water or green tea are the healthiest choices because some people don’t react well to soymilk or cow’s milk and others may find fruit juices too fattening due to excess sugar. Protein shakes which may contain soy, whey or green concentrates are nutritious, easy to digest (except if you have food intolerances) and blend with practically anything. Other easy to digest foods are rice porridge, oatmeal and steamed or pureed vegetables. Avocado, once notorious as a high calorie treat is now considered a healthy option. Aside from being good for the heart, its monounsaturated fatty acid content has antioxidant properties which aid healing. Applesauce and yogurt are highly recommended for those who have undergone facial cosmetic surgery because you don’t need to chew or contract your facial muscles too much. Try to drink liquids with a large caliber straw.

In the next week or so following surgery, you can ease back to a normal diet by:

1. Changing your plate size to 60% of your usual plate. You cheat your eye and end up with smaller portions.
2. Filling your plate 70% full with greens and complex starches, 20% with a protein source (e.g. braised fish, poached egg) and 10% fat preferably from olive oil and other “good fat” sources. 
3. Have more whole grains, sprouts and healthy nuts like almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts which provide fiber and “good” fat respectively. 
4. Chew small morsels slowly. This simple step allows your salivary glands to pre-digest carbohydrates and to render protein into manageable bits which can be easily digested by intestinal enzymes.

Toward a Brand New You

Life after liposuction or cosmetic surgery is a chance to start over. When you take off your compression garment for the last time, this signals a whole new lifestyle of healthy eating, active lifestyle and a younger-looking, trimmer silhouette!

Post Surgical Compression Garments

Plastic surgery is by far the fastest way to achieve your desired body and appearance. But like any surgical procedure, it comes with normal side effects like swelling, bruising and scarring. In addition to proper rest and good nutrition, almost all plastic surgeons recommend post surgical compression garments to accelerate the healing process and achieve the best results.

A compression garment helps alleviate the level of bruising, edema (swelling), bleeding and other complications to facilitate faster recovery.  Since liposuction entails the injection of large volumes of fluid into the targeted area to remove fat easily, the pressure created by post liposuction compression garments improves blood circulation and pushes the extra fluids back towards deeper body tissues bringing oxygen and nutrients to the surgical areas.

Correctly fitted plastic surgery garments also hold the newly shaped skin firmly against the body to properly mold body contours without limiting body movement. The use of compression garments after liposuction expedites the healing process to allow the body to recuperate quickly.

Depending on the treated area, post surgical compression garments may include a head or chin wrap (facial compression wrap), compression bra or breast augmentation wrap, compression sleeve (arm compression garment), abdominal and flank area support garment (compression pants) or an abdominal binder. Compared to ordinary girdles and other skin-tight workout clothes, compression garments are designed to be worn daily during the recovery stage.  With features such as outside seams for comfort and a double-tummy panel for efficacy, medical compression garments are made from soft, lightweight, stretchable and breathable fabric which is designed to maintain its elasticity. Compression garments are constructed to provide users ultimate comfort and are latex-free to avoid any allergic reactions.

A compression garment should fit well to give proper support and function in the right areas. And since it can be inevitably stained and soiled, it is advisable to have at least two post surgical compression garments. This way you can wear the second garment while the other is being laundered which also ensures you maintain steady compression.

Every doctor has a protocol for wearing plastic surgery garments. The length of time to wear a garment primarily depends on the type of procedure done. Generally speaking, most surgeons recommend wearing compression garments 24 hours a day during the first week or so following the surgery and reducing the use of the garment over the next two to eight weeks.  Just be sure to follow your doctor’s advice to achieve the best outcome. 

How Compression Garments Help You Heal Faster

Plastic surgery is by far the fastest way to achieve your desired body and appearance. But like any surgical procedure, it comes with normal side effects like swelling, bruising and scarring. That’s why aside from proper rest and good nutrition, almost all plastic surgeons recommend post surgical compression garments to accelerate the healing process and achieve the best results.

A compression garment helps alleviate the level of bruising, edema (swelling), bleeding and other complications to facilitate faster recovery.  Since liposuction entails the injection of large volumes of fluid into the targeted area to remove fat easily, the pressure created by post liposuction compression garments improves blood circulation and pushes the extra fluids back towards deeper body tissues bringing oxygen and nutrients to the surgical areas.  Correctly fitted plastic surgery garments also hold the newly shaped skin firmly against the body to properly mold body contours without limiting body movement. The use of compression garments after liposuction expedites the healing process to allow the body to recuperate quickly.

Depending on the treated area, post surgical compression garments may include a head or chin wrap (facial compression wrap), compression bra or breast augmentation wrap, compression sleeve (arm compression garment), abdominal and flank area support garment (high waist compression pant) or an abdominal binder. Compared to ordinary girdles and other skin-tight workout clothes, compression garments are designed to be worn daily during the recovery stage.  With features such as outside seams for comfort and a double-tummy panel for efficacy, medical compression garments are made from soft, lightweight, stretchable and breathable fabric which is designed to maintain its elasticity. Compression garments are constructed to provide users ultimate comfort and are latex-free to avoid any allergic reactions.

A compression garment should fit well to give proper support and function in the right areas. And since it can be inevitably stained and soiled, it is advisable to have at least two post surgical compression garments. This way you can wear the second garment while the other is being laundered which also ensures you maintain steady compression.

Every plastic or cosmetic surgeon has his/her own protocol for wearing plastic surgery garments. The length of time to wear a garment typically depends on the type of procedure, incision closing technique and recovery progression. Most surgeons recommend wearing compression garments 24 hours a day during the first week or so following the surgery and reducing the use of the garment over the next two to eight weeks. Just be sure to follow your doctor’s advice to achieve the best outcome.