Liposuction Post-surgery Healing Kits

In recent years, liposuction has been shown to be more popular than tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) procedures. In 2011, 149,410 tummy tuck procedures were performed, as compared to 325,332 liposuction procedures. Liposuction is generally much less invasive than tummy tuck surgery, with fewer risks for complications and a shorter healing time. Furthermore, patients who opt for liposuction procedures are generally only looking to target a specific area of the body for removing stubborn pockets of fat, as compared to a tummy tuck procedure combined with liposuction, which is when not only fat is removed, but excess loose skin around the abdominal region is removed.

Despite the fact that liposuction is a much less invasive surgical procedure, patients still need time to recover afterward. Because liposuction is almost never covered by insurance, there will not be any professional home care following the procedure. While surgeons require that patients have a friend or family member drive them to and from the procedure, as well as stay with them for the first 24 hours following the procedure, patients will still need to take the necessary time to properly heal for the best results. The surgeons at Crawford Plastic Surgery recommend that patients have a liposuction healing kit ready to go once they come home from the procedure. While complete kits can be purchased online, patients can also put together customized kits on their own to best suit their individual needs.

What Should the Healing Kit Include?

Pre-surgical vitamins and supplements will help fortify you and boost your immune system. Include a good multivitamin/mineral tablet and zinc to boost your energy levels and vitamin C to boost your immune system. Post-surgical vitamins will help you heal faster with fewer complications. Along with the multivitamin, include a quercetin/bromelain complex and the herb Arnica montana to reduce the amount and duration of bruising and swelling. L-arginine and l-glutamine will help with wound healing.

Once the wounds have completely healed over, silicone sheeting can be applied to both flatten and even out the scars to make them less noticeable. Silicone gel sheeting and medical tape can be purchased at drugstores or online.

The surgeons at Crawford Plastic Surgery will give liposuction patients a special post-surgical garment to wear. It is made of tightly woven elasticized cloth to help reduce the amount and duration of bruising and swelling. Plastic surgeons recommend that patients purchase a second garment so that they will have a spare when the first is in the dirty laundry. This garment can also be purchased online.

Cold compresses and blue gel packs can also be applied to the wounds, once they have fully healed over. This will also help with bruising and swelling. The blue gel packs are recommended because they will not freeze into a solid mass, and will better conform to the shape of the body.

All of these items can be purchased online, or from a reputable drug store. Having this kit ready to go starting two or three weeks before the procedure will ensure that patients are prepared for the post-surgical period while they are healing. Contact Crawford Plastic Surgery today.