REHABILITATION AFTER PLASTIC SURGERY

The success of plastic surgery depends not only on the experience and skills of the surgeon. In many ways, it is determined by the patient’s behavior after the manipulation.

Many mandatory rules minimize the risk of side effects, shorten the rehabilitation period, and enhance the procedure’s effect. 

Types of plastic surgery

Today, aesthetic surgery offers various options for correcting facial and body flaws. Here are some of them:

• Facelift (facelift). Indications:
  • tissue ptosis;
  • Pronounced age-related defects (deep folds, creases, wrinkles, age spots);
  • Deterioration of skin elasticity;
  • sagging skin;
  • Gravitational ptosis.
• Blepharoplasty (eyelid lift). Effective in the following cases:
  • Fatty hernias;
  • Overhanging skin;
  • Excess skin.
• Otoplasty (ear surgery). Used to solve the following problems:
  • Congenital defects of the ear;
  • Lop-earedness;
  • Broken lobe;
  • Scars, abnormal dimensions of the auricle.
• Rhinoplasty (nose job). Indications:
  • deviated nasal septum;
  • Congenital deformities of the osteocartilaginous skeleton of the nose;
  • Aesthetic dissatisfaction of the patient with his nose. 
• Malyarplasty (correction of the shape of the cheekbones).
• Indications:
  • Facial asymmetry;
  • Sunken, unexpressed, overly wide cheekbones;
  • Pathologies of the cheekbones caused by injuries. 
• Platysmaplasty (neck lift).
• Indications: 
  • “Rings of Venus”;
  • Loose, sagging skin;
  • Fuzzy cervico-chin contour;
  • Decreased tone of platysma;
  • Uneven, swollen oval of the face.
• Cervicoplasty (elimination of sagging areas on the chin).
• Indications: 
  • Deformation of the skin;
  • The presence of a “second chin”;
  • Creases, deep wrinkles;
  • Deterioration of skin tone.
• Mammoplasty (breast plastic surgery).
• Indications:
  • Asymmetry;
  • Insufficient breast volume;
  • Too large breast volume;
  • Atrophy or different size of the mammary glands;
  • Male gynecomastia. 
• Abdominoplasty (tummy tuck).
• Indications: 
  • The presence of rough postoperative scars;
  • Ptosis of the anterior abdominal wall;
  • Stretching of the rectus muscles;
  • Excess subcutaneous fat. 
• Brachioplasty (removal of excess fatty tissue in the shoulder area).
• Indications: 
  • Flabbiness of the skin;
  • Wrinkles and folds;
  • Excess body fat. 
• Gluteoplasty (plastic buttocks).
• Indications: 
  • Asymmetry of the gluteal muscles;
  • Descent of the buttocks;
  • Flat gluteal muscles;
  • Atrophy of the gluteal tissues. 
• Over the past few years, implantation has become a popular area of ​​gluteoplasty – introducing a silicone implant into a certain part of the buttock. 
• Cheiloplasty (plastic lips).
• Indications: 
  • Sagging of the lower lip;
  • Asymmetry;
  • Omission of the corners of the mouth;
  • Reducing the distance between the upper lip and nose and increasing the upper lip. 
• Intimate plastic. 
• Indications: 
  • Weakness of muscle tissues;
  • Age changes;
  • Deformation of the external genital organs.

Thread lift instead of plastic surgery

Separately, it is worth highlighting the thread lifting. This is a non-surgical face and body lift, which is not inferior in terms of the effectiveness of plastic surgery but does not require long-term rehabilitation. The Luxeface & Luxebody technique is a Swiss development of the A SWISS GROUP corporation with MD, plastic surgeon, and anti-aging medicine doctor Dorina Donich. As part of this technique, an exclusive line of threads made from safe absorbable materials has been studied and developed that can correct even the most delicate areas of the face and body: around the eyes, neck, décolleté, shoulders, arms, elbows, armpits, back, abdomen, hips, buttocks, knees. 

Luxeface & Luxebody mesothreads are injected under the skin at different depths according to strictly defined schemes, depending on the desired effect. Problem areas are tightened, and collagen and elastin synthesis is activated from the inside, which significantly improves skin condition.

Luxeface & Luxebody procedures use polydioxanone mesothreads, which dissolve within 6-12 months and provide a lasting lifting effect. The threads even out the skin, restore body contours, smooth out wrinkles and folds, restore microcirculation in the deep layers of the skin, improve lymphatic tissue drainage, and create a new collagen-elastin framework. 

EXPERT OPINION

“As a developer of the Luxeface & Luxebody technique and as a doctor who has been using this technique in practice for many years, I would like to note that Luxeface & Luxebody is a real breakthrough in biorejuvenation of body tissues, in skin biolifting, in bioregeneration of the lymphatic and circulatory systems. At the AMWC World Congress in Monaco, this technique was recognized as number 1 worldwide for restoration and non-surgical body shaping.”

Why is rehabilitation necessary, and how long does it take?

Rehabilitation and the postoperative period require due attention from the surgeon and the patient. 

No matter how well the manipulation is carried out, any surgical intervention is a stress for the body, namely:

• The intensity of metabolic processes decreases;
• Capillaries and small vessels are damaged;
• The breakdown of hemoglobin contributes to a change in skin color at the site of injury;
• A small inflammatory reaction, intoxication develops;
• There are bruises, swelling, and redness.  

Therefore, rehabilitation after surgery is an intermediate stage between surgical change and the appearance of visible results. The complex of postoperative measures has both general and local character. 

The actions that we will describe below have several goals:

• Detoxification of the body;
• Increased muscle tone;
• Exclusion of infections;
• Reduction of painful manifestations;
• Increasing the intensity of metabolic processes;
• Improvement of microcirculation;
• Elimination of internal and external foci of inflammation;
• Restoring the integrity of the skin;
• Reducing the recovery period after surgery.  

Conditions for successful rehabilitation

To reduce the manifestation of hemorrhages, swells, bruises, or even worse – infections, it is very important to follow simple but important rules of rehabilitation:

• Do not wet, touch, do not massage the site of manipulation.
• Do not visit baths, saunas, solariums, swimming pools, or water parks within two weeks.
• Exclude from the diet fatty, fried, salty, fast food, or other foods that stimulate general inflammation in the body. Instead, eat more fresh vegetables and fruits, fish, and white meat (chicken, turkey).
• Protect your skin from UV rays with SPF. After surgery, the protection factor should be at least 50.
• Follow your doctor’s instructions exactly. These may include taking antibiotics, anti-inflammatory drugs, decongestants, topical ointments, and wearing compression stockings or bandages.
• Limit physical activity for two weeks. After surgery, it is important to allow the body to rest and recover. It is also forbidden to carry weights. If you feel an urgent need, you can do very light exercises from a couple of exercises. 
• Change bandages promptly. 
• Cut down on smoking or stop smoking altogether. Toxins contained in tobacco worsen and slow down the regeneration process. 
• Try to protect yourself from stressful situations. Sleep more and rest. 

Types of possible postoperative procedures 

Microcurrent therapy

Microcurrent therapy is prescribed for patients after plastic surgery in the early postoperative period.

Due to the effect on nerve fibers, blood, and lymphatic vessels, it helps to reduce postoperative edema. 

Microcurrent therapy acts at the cellular level, improves blood circulation and lymph outflow, and increases the speed of metabolic processes. The course of procedures has an immunostimulating and anti-inflammatory effect. Microcurrents tone the mimic muscles of the face and create favorable conditions for cell regeneration. 

The beautician will determine the area of ​​influence, power, and several sessions. But, as a rule, therapy is carried out after the removal of sutures.  

Ultrasound Therapy 

Ultrasound therapy combines several types of exposure: 

• Thermal energy increases the activity of enzymes inside the cell and stimulates the flow of biochemical reactions.
• High-frequency vibrations increase cellular metabolism and improve blood circulation. 
• Vibration dilutes the cytoplasmic fluid, accelerates the absorption of useful trace elements, relieves spasms and pain, and improves the anti-inflammatory effect. 
• The Physico-chemical effect works at the cellular level (accelerates biochemical reactions and promotes the synthesis of new biogenic substances). 

Compression underwear

The task of compression underwear is to prevent the formation of blood clots, hemorrhages, and hematomas. Due to the narrowing of the vascular lumen, blood flow increases. As a result, venous congestion is prevented, and a uniform effect is exerted on the veins. 

These measures are necessary to improve the postoperative condition of the operated area, relieve swelling, improve the quality of scars, and relieve pain.  

How long does rehabilitation take

Keep in mind that the surgeon draws up the rehabilitation plan individually for each patient. The subtleties and features of recovery can be affected by: age, gender, weight, hormonal background, place of work, bad habits, and diseases of the patient. 

Approximate terms of rehabilitation – 2-3 weeks. 

Possible Complications

Failure to comply with the rules of rehabilitation leads to very unpleasant consequences:

• Smoking disrupts microcirculation, poisons the body with toxins, impairs healing;
• The incorrect wearing of the bandage can dislodge the implants;
• Unwillingness to wear compression underwear can lead to the formation of bruises and blood clots;
• Ultraviolet accelerates the aging process and leads to the appearance of age spots, worsens scarring, and reduces local skin immunity. Also, in the postoperative period, the risk of burns is likely.

Contraindications

There are several strict contraindications for any surgical procedure. These include:

• Pregnancy and lactation;
• Infectious, chronic, oncological diseases;
• Blood clotting disorders;
• Exacerbation of chronic ailments;
• Cardiovascular diseases;
• Mental disorders;
• Diabetes. 

Thus, with the above conditions, it is worth postponing the trip to the surgeon and focusing on treating diseases. 

Brief conclusions

The ideal result of plastic surgery is determined not only by the surgeon’s skill but also by your actions. 

If you strictly follow the rehabilitation plan, you can significantly reduce the recovery period.

List of used literature

1. Jean-Paul Menengo “Professor Meningo’s Anti-Aging Program“.
2. Barbara Hersant “Berhaus A, Toplak F. Surgikal concepts for reconstructions of the auricle: history and current state of the art”. 
3. Barbara Hersant “The Suspensory Ligament of the Clitoris: A New Anatomical and Histological Description”.
4. Adamson, P.A. Grafts in rhinoplasty: autogenous grafts are superior to alloplastic.
5. Alessandrini A. ACPgel : a new hyaluronic acid-based injectable for facial rejuvenation. Preclinical data in a rabbit model.
6. Berhaus A, Toplak F. Surgikal concepts for reconstructions of the auricle: history and current state of the art.