Body Contouring and Compression Therapy
Body contouring is a broad term that encompasses a wide range of surgeries. The areas of the body that are most often treated through body contouring include the following:
- Abdomen: Also known as a "tummy tuck," abdominoplasty involves removing excess skin and tightening the underlying abdominal muscles.
- Buttocks/upper thighs: A body lift, or belt lipectomy, is a procedure to lift the thighs and buttocks and remove excess skin.
- Thighs: A medial thigh lift removes excess skin from the upper leg.
- Breasts: There are several types of breast surgery, including breast lift, breast augmentation (breast enlargement) and breast reduction.
- Arms: Arm surgery (brachioplasty) is a type of cosmetic surgery to remove excess skin from the arm.
- Face and neck: A facelift, also known as rhytidectomy, is a type of cosmetic surgery to improve visible signs of aging in the face and neck.
Compression Therapy Immediately following a body contouring procedure your board certified plastic surgeon may instruct you to purchase and continuously wear a compression garment (for example, a body shaper or compression bra). These recovery garments are designed to help improve and increase blood circulation, rid your body of potentially harmful fluids, decrease your post surgery recovery time, and reduce swelling. They also help the new skin fit the body’s contours, allowing you to recover faster.
Compression garments are typically worn immediately after your surgery. They are generally worn continuously for several weeks.