Contemporary surgery techniques can get you in and out of the OR ASAP. The healing process, of course, still takes a lot longer.
But the key to recovery isn’t just in the surgery itself; it’s in how you treat your body afterward. You can promote speedier healing with fewer chances of side effects by following a few simple guidelines.
One of the most important and effective ones is compression therapy.
Whether you’re confronting the side effects of cancer treatment or you’re just trying to promote the best possible lipo outcome, compression garments are an easy, low-tech way to give your body the best recovery possible.
And when it comes to buying compression garments locally, look no farther than our Tampa home medical equipment store. Here (and through our website), you can shop a wide range of garment styles, sizes, and brands—ensuring that you buy a compression product that fits right and works for your body.
Why Do Injuries Swell?
When the body is injured, it floods the damaged tissue with healing proteins, nutrients, and infection-fighting cells. All of these resources arrive in a mix of blood and other fluids, causing swelling. Swelling also serves to limit motion, lowering the risk of further injury.
At the same time, the body has to remove dead cells and other waste products of the healing process from the injured area. Much of this fluid movement, especially the removal of waste, is handled by the lymphatic system.
When Swelling Becomes an Issue
Ironically, while this swelling is a natural part of healing, it can also hinder recovery—especially if the fluid retention gets out of hand and/or the lymphatic system becomes overwhelmed. In those cases, stagnant fluid limits waste removal and gets in the way of fresh new healing cells from arriving to the injury. This can become a self-perpetuating problem.
Additionally, some injuries can damage lymphatic flow, and some surgeries lead to the removal of lymph nodes. In those cases, the body might be more prone to excessive swelling (lymphedema).
How Compression Promotes Healing
To put it simply, compression garments don’t let the body swell too much. In areas where fluids might otherwise pool, compression keeps things moving. And when blood vessels and lymphatic vessels are constricted or dilated, it’s easier for the body to move fluid through them.
(While compression treatment is vital for all types of healing, plastic surgery patients—for whom body shape is often the whole point—should follow compression recommendations closely.)
By gently restricting the size of the injured area, compression garments keep the body’s natural healing fluids moving, so that your recovery isn’t sidetracked by swelling.
The Importance of Proper Fit in Compression Garments
Fit is everything in compression garments. Too loose and you won’t receive adequate compression; too tight and you’ll actually restrict circulation, which can lead to very serious issues.
In order to ensure you receive a properly fitting garment, find a home medical supplier who provides thorough sizing guidelines for their products as well as one-on-one guidance from HME experts.
Better still, visit a brick-and-mortar Tampa Bay medical equipment store, where you can see and feel the compression garments for yourself—before you buy them.
As Tampa’s home medical equipment supplier for more than a decade, Helios provides southwest Florida with the equipment and the guidance you need to find the very best medical supplies for you.
And that’s how you get better faster.
Deckard & Company