Surgical Garments

An Overview of Post Surgical Healing

After an aesthetic or reconstructive surgery, you may experience some discomfort, pain, stiffness, or temporary numbness. Trauma in the surgical area leads to inflammation. A Medical Compression Garment or Bra assists in the healing process and improves procedure results.

The benefits of proper compression and support can reduce the risk of seromas, lymphedema, hematomas, and skin unevenness.

Accurate compression and support:
• reduces fluid build up increases blood circulation
• promotes proper skin adhesion to newly contoured areas
• holds surgical dressings in place until removed
• supports incision to heal properly

Most of the swelling and bruising subsides within a few weeks, though some light swelling can last up to six months. Doctors advise their patients to wear compression garments for at least the first few weeks after a procedure. Patients may find it more comfortable to wear the garments until all the swelling has completely subsided and the final results are revealed.

Garment in Recovery

It is essential that the compression garment worn during the recovery period will provide targeted compression, something that is not found in a standard girdle or athletic tights. Athletic tights, girdles and jog bras also do not have flat seams, an open crotch and are not intended for long-term wear.

Compression garments are very different from a pair of cycling shorts, a body girdle or bra you might see in your local store. Our garments are specifically designed for postoperative wear and have important features like flat, non-marking seams, inner panels that provide the targeted compression necessary during healing, and no labels or anything that will irritate your skin during extended wear.

A medical compression garment can assist in the body’s healing process and improve procedure results, postoperatively. However, accurate compression and patient compliance in wearing a medical compression garment can affect the outcome. For the most part, patients who comply with their doctor’s recommendation to wear a compression garment have reported a greater sense of overall satisfaction associated with their procedure results

Additionally, greater procedure satisfaction has been linked to patients who reported 100% compliance versus patients who wore a compression garment less than the recommended time. Patient compliance has been directly linked to selecting a garment that properly fits a patient’s body, is designed for good hygiene, and is attractive and comfortable while providing accurate compression.

During a reconstructive or an aesthetic procedure such as liposuction, dermal, subcutaneous fat, and muscle layer cohesion is disturbed. More specifically, these procedures can cause trauma to blood vessels and capillaries, the lymphatic system, and connective tissues. Trauma in the surgical area causes leakage of blood and serum from capillaries into adjacent tissues. Blood that leaks into tissues will later lead to inflammation, which slows the healing process. Post surgical compression of a surgical site is desirable to mitigate inflammation and stretching of dermal tissue due to fluid accumulating in the surgical region after subdermal intervention, especially where fatty tissue have been removed

A quality compression garment will apply constant and consistent compression from all angles over a prolonged period of time to provide support to the entire surgical region without sacrificing comfort. The level of compression in a garment, garment design plays an important greater role. A garment’s design pattern should mold the body into the ideal hourglass or v-shape. Since most aesthetic and reconstructive procedures are developed to give a patient these ideal body shapes, a garment should be designed and constructed to support the procedure and align the garment to the body’s new contours. Additionally, with a recommended wear schedule of up to 23 hours a day, it is imperative that a compression garment be designed with comfort and durability in mind. Patient compliance can be directly tied to the comfort and proper fit of a compression garment.

Procedure Background

During a reconstructive or an aesthetic procedure such as liposuction, dermal, subcutaneous fat, and muscle layer cohesion is disturbed. More specifically, these procedures can cause trauma to blood vessels and capillaries, the lymphatic system, and connective tissues. Trauma in the surgical area causes leakage of blood and serum from capillaries into adjacent tissues. Blood that leaks into tissues will later lead to inflammation, which slows the healing process. Post surgical compression of a surgical site is desirable to mitigate inflammation and stretching of dermal tissue due to fluid accumulating in the surgical region after subdermal intervention, especially where fatty tissues have been removed.

Benefits and Risks

The benefits of proper compression on the subdermal layers can reduce the risk of Seromas, lymphedema, hematomas, and skin unevenness.

Accurate compression

• Reduces fluid build up in subdermal surgical lipectomy area
• Increases blood circulation
• Promotes proper skin adhesion to newly contoured areas
• Holds surgical dressings in place until removed

Alternately, an ill fitting or ill designed compression garment may cause increased risk of Seromas, lymphedema, lumpy or uneven skin composition, exaggerated or red scars, or Necrosis

Inconsistent Compression

• Increases the possibility of fluid accumulation under the dermal layer
• Allows fluid build-up that may stretch the skin causing improper reattachment of
• The dermal layer to the body’s new contours
• Promotes swelling that can cause tapes, sutures, staples, or other fastenings that
• Close a surgical site to break or dislocate

Excessive compression

May cut off vital blood circulation to the surgical site