Manual lymphatic drainage and therapeutic ultrasound in liposuction and lipoabdominoplasty post-operative period

BACKGROUND: Physiotherapy in the plastic surgery post-operative (PO) is essential to provide means for an adequate and fast recovery as it restores function through the use of physiotherapeutic procedures. AIM: The aim of the following study is to verify the effects of the association between the manual lymphatic drainage and the therapeutic ultrasound on pain, oedema and the tissue fibrosis in liposuction and lipoabdominoplasty PO. DESIGN: This is a clinical trial prospective. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eighteen women aged between 18 and 60 years participated in this study, in the late PO period following lipoabdominoplasty or liposuction in the abdomen, flanks and lower trunk, which showed tissue fibrosis of the flanks and abdomen regions. They were divided into two groups: Liposuction group and lipoabdominoplasty group. A total of twelve sessions of therapeutic ultrasound followed by the manual lymphatic drainage were performed. The patients were assessed with regard to pain, oedema and tissue fibrosis in different moments: Initial assessment, during assessment and final assessment through the application of the protocol of evaluation of cysts fibrosis levels. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: The test of equality for two proportions and the confidence interval test for mean to evaluate the distribution of variables. The significance level adopted for statistical tests was 5% (P < 0.05). RESULTS: There was a statistically significant reduction of pain, swelling and tissue fibrosis in both groups. CONCLUSION: the association between manual lymphatic drainage and the therapeutic ultrasound reduced the swelling and the tissue fibrosis and made pain disappear in liposuction and lipoabdominoplasty PO period.