By Robert Kessler, MD — Plastic Surgeon, Newport Beach, CA
There are two circulatory systems in our bodies. Most people know the arteries and veins that carry blood and nutrients and remove waste. The second is the lymphatic system — and it’s central to understanding postpartum and post-surgical swelling.
How the Lymphatic System Works
Blood consists of red cells, which stay in the vessels, and plasma, which can leave the vessels to bathe the body’s structural cells. Plasma does its work and is then collected by the lymphatic system, which returns it to the bloodstream. These lymphatic channels operate under very low pressure and often rely on muscular movement to propel fluid back into circulation.
Why Surgery Causes Swelling
During surgical procedures, both blood and lymphatic vessels are cut. Blood vessels operate under higher pressure and find alternate paths back into circulation quickly — within about a week. Lymphatic channels are slow to reopen and may take around three months, so fluid accumulates at the surgical site, and the trauma of surgery adds more fluid still.
How Compression Helps
The body’s response to surgery — and to the spaces surgery creates — is to fill those areas with fluid. Some fluid is beneficial: plasma carries clotting factors and immune elements that concentrate healing. Too much is problematic. Compression maintains contact between the layers of the wound, preventing early fluid collection, and limits how much fluid can enter the tissue, minimizing cycles of engorgement and deflation. It should be maintained until the lymphatic system has repaired itself — in most cases, complete by about three months.
A well-made compression garment supports this process day to day. If you’re not sure what fits your stage of recovery, Jenn can help you understand what’s happening and what helps.