A surgery is an invasive procedure that involves cutting your skin open to intervene on your musculoskeletal system and or the organs. Surgeries are often a life-saving intervention, but even a life-changing intervention. Once you undergo surgery, your body will never be the same. MLD post-surgery can help stimulate your Lymphatic System, supporting your recovery from this type of intervention. The lymphatic system is a body system that collects, moves and cleans the excess water and substances, like bacteria, viruses, dirt, tattoos, ink and more, from below the skin and then passes it to the bloodstream.
Lymphatic System and Surgery.
80% of the Lymphatic System sits below the skin, and 20% sits within the deep fascia.
When going for surgery and the skin gets cut, the superficial layer of the lymphatic system gets interrupted and is damaged. Unless we intervene, the lymphatic system will have a hard time regenerating.
Indeed, the lymphatic system can regenerate if stimulated.
The stimulation of the lymphatic system happens through touch, like with MLD or through the movement of the body, like exercises, even as simple as muscle contraction.
MLD Post-Surgery – How It Works?
Before or after surgery, it is recommended to stay active. This would allow the different body systems to keep working and maintain their function at their best till the time of the surgery.
On the other hand, being active post-surgery is not always an option.
In fact, during the post-surgery period, being active in the area that got stitches can be a contraindication, as the stitches could break. A cast may be present in other cases, and the muscle near the surgery can’t be moved.
That’s where MLD can help stimulate the lymphatic system. By doing so, we can guarantee the circulation of liquids in the body, which is essential for a great recovery.
But not only that
Reducing the swelling around the cutting area or below the area affected by the operation would guarantee a fast return to movement.
This is because the less swelling, the easier it is to move the joint. But also, MLD comes with a deep relaxation effect, which would put you in a state of relaxation and would help you move more easily.
So MLD, by boosting the lymphatic system, reduces the swelling and allows the body’s natural healing process.
What to do if you have to go for surgery then?
If you are up for surgery soon and you have no contraindication to MLD, what you can do to guarantee a faster recovery is, keep moving as much as you can, stay active, and book yourself in for a few MLD treatments just for the days before your surgery is due.
That would help with the Lymphatic System recovery, as a more robust and healthier Lymphatic System would recover faster.
And as the risk of infection and post-surgery is under control, and your blood pressure is within the acceptable range (this depends on what type of surgery you had), get moving as much as possible and come back for a few more sessions of MLD.
MLD post-Surgery – Does It Work For Any Surgery?
- C-section (preeclampsia)
- bone fracture
- liposuction
- carpal tunnel
- knee reconstruction
- hip replacement
- day hospital intervention
MLD Post-Surgery – What You Should Know
As often happens with cancer surgery, lymph nodes get removed if they are contaminated by cancerous cells. After surgery, you may also be treated with chemotherapy or radiotherapy in the area affected by the surgery.
Lymph node removal prevents the cancer cells from spreading throughout the rest of the body, so it is often an inevitable step in this type of intervention. The risk of developing lymph node removal, on the other hand, is represented by the development of Lymphoedema after a cancer surgery, which depends on many different factors, including lifestyle, genetics, radiation therapy and more.
I dedicated a series of blogs to the Lymphoedema topic, which you can find here. On the other hand, If you are concerned about Lymphoedema presentation, get in touch now to discuss how Giovanni can assist you.
Giovanni’s Training For MLD
I trained for MLD on two separate occasions with the Vodder Academy, whose courses in Australia are offered by Moving Lymph. The first course I did was in 2021, and I trained to work on patients who had an intact lymphatic system. My training was already complete to work with patients who undergo surgery. It was then in 2024 that I took a course for Lymphoedema therapy. This second had a strong focus on conditions where the lymphatic system is interrupted. Either because of a congenital presentation (primary lymphoedema) or because of external intervention (secondary Lymphoedema).
Giovanni La Rocca
Giovanni moved to Melbourne, Australia, from Italy in 2008 and became a citizen in 2017. He started studying massage therapy in 2016, then completed a Bachelor of Health Science in Clinical Myotherapy in August 2024. During those years, he also specialised in Thai Massage and Manual Lymphatic Drainage for presentations like Lipoedema and Lymphoedema. Nowadays, he runs his clinic in Fitzroy North, Melbourne, where he integrates movement therapy into his practice to enhance overall well-being. He also values meditation, having completed several Vipassana courses. Committed to continuous learning, he aims to share his expertise in integrated therapies to help others achieve balance and resilience.