From Make Me Heal

Many patients use specialized compression garments for their procedures or a binder for at least some period of time. A compression garment is crucial for healing as it accelerates the healing process and allows you to return to daily life sooner by minimizing swelling, improving blood circulation, providing support and comfort to surgical areas, and by flushing the body out of potentially harmful fluids. A garment or binder helps close the space that was created when seperating the skin/fat from the fascia, which keeps fluid from collecting. This is to help prevent complications such as a seroma or a hematoma.

Depending on the doctor, you may need to wear both a Stage One garment for the first 1-2 weeks of post-op (garment is designed to be less tight and bigger due to your swelling and has zippers for ease) and then switch to wearing a Stage Two garment (smaller and tighter since you have less swelling) during 2-8 weeks post-op or longer. Wearing garments for both stages gives you continuous compression, which speeds recovery. Some doctors may ask you to wear one garment. And then there are some - especially in Great Britian - who don't use a binder or garment at all.

Choosing the right garment can have a significant impact on your healing. It is not recommended to sacrifice your cosmetic results by wearing a non-medical garment from your local store that is not specifically made for a cosmetic medical procedure (such as over-the-counter girdles, athletic shorts, body suits, tights, shapewear, sports bras) because they are not designed for continuous wear during recovery. Wearing a non-medical garment can be bad for healing, as you can slow down your recovery, worsen your swelling and other symptoms, and increase your post-op discomfort.

Questions To Ask During Consultation About Garments & Binders

• Will you wake up in a garment or binder after surgery? If so, what kind? How long will you need to wear this garment or binder?

• If you're to provide your own garment or binder, what does your doctor recommend?

• If you're having a combination of procedures, such as a "breast augmentation" or liposuction, how will that affect the garment you should wear? You can find Multiple Procedure Garments that are specifically made for combination procedures.

• Can or should you wear a stage 2 garment, and if so, when can you switch from the stage 1 garment, and how long should you remain in it?