Why swelling after surgery

Start-up stiffness is a feeling of pain and stiffness in the knee when you first wake up in the morning, or after you have been sitting for some time. The pain and stiffness gets better every week, but can last up to four months after surgery. Hip Replacement While in bed, use two pillows between your legs, and turn on your side with your operative hip up. Knee Replacement While lying in bed or on the couch use pillows to elevate your leg. Redness or drainage Occasionally you will have redness around the incision.

You may be advised to follow these steps to reduce swelling: Apply ice packs: Applying clean ice packs to swollen tissues can help reduce swelling. The ice causes the blood vessels to contract. Care must be taken when applying ice packs to the tissue to avoid further injury; ice packs should only be applied for minute increments. Elevation: Elevating the area of the body where surgery was performed can help drain fluids and reduce swelling. Those who have undergone facial plastic surgery or breast augmentation should sit upright while those who have had a tummy tuck often benefit from a semi-reclined position.

Compression garments: Compression garments are recommended and should be worn for a few weeks after plastic surgery. Compression garments help with recovery in a number of ways. They help to reduce swelling by pushing fluids into the lymph system for removal from the body, they help the tissues conform and retract to their new contours, and they support the tissues as they heal. Massage: Gently massaging swollen tissues can help move fluids and reduce swelling.

Great care must be taken when massaging the tissues after surgery and should only be done if recommended by your surgeon. Reduce salt intake: Diets high in sodium can cause the body to retain fluid.

Reducing salt intake after surgery can help prevent fluid retention and aid in reducing swelling. Schedule a Consultation If you're interested in enhancing your appearance and are considering plastic surgery, we welcome you to schedule a consultation with Drs. When it comes to post-surgical discomfort, the most likely culprit is swelling. It can be difficult for providers to predict exactly how much swelling a patient will experience during recovery , but there are several strategies to help manage it.

Although aesthetic surgery is elective, the body still views the incision and work carried out as an injury. It kick starts the healing process accordingly.

The first stage of the recovery process is the inflammatory phase, during which the body will send repair cells to the surgical site.

The main symptoms of the inflammatory response are swelling and pain, with the former often causing the latter. The swelling itself is a result of the increased movement of fluids carrying white blood cells, growth factors, and enzymes to the area. Several factors will determine how much swelling someone experiences after a procedure, but it can be difficult to predict. Below are a few indicators:.

Your provider will discuss any additional risk factors with you during the pre-op workup process, and they will be able to advise on what to expect during the recovery process based on your medical history and treatment plan. Minimizing the risk of swelling begins long before you go under the knife. Being in good physical health is important for any surgery.

While your doctor will review all surgical risks for you, there is always the possibility that surgery exacerbated an underlying condition.

Edema arises from circulatory problems, tissue death and kidney disease. Any of these conditions can worsen after a surgery and lead to edema if they were not reported to your doctor or if these are new diagnoses that did not arise until after surgery.

Diabetes patients also face more risk of developing post-surgery swelling in Las Vegas, NV. If you were in chronic pain before surgery, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can increase the risk. The same pain may have left you immobile for a while, and the fluid pools in gravity-dependent areas. That is why it is important to stick to physical therapy and finish that treatment—regular movement and increasing your mobility can reduce your chances of developing edema.