Lymphatic drainage after combined surgeries in Calgary

If you had two or more procedures in one operation, such as liposuction with a tummy tuck or breast surgery with abdominal work, Renu's 90-minute post-op lymphatic drainage session for multiple surgeries ($210) gives your therapist time to treat every area properly. Single-area recovery is booked as a 60-minute post-op session ($140), also listed by procedure in Jane. Both follow the same staged plan, with compression fitting available and, with your written consent, updates to your surgeon.

Which session to book after combined procedures

Book the 90-minute multiple-surgeries session when two or more procedures were done in one operation. At Renu it costs $210 and exists because one hour is rarely enough to treat several healing areas with the slow, light strokes lymphatic drainage needs. Typical combinations include liposuction with a tummy tuck, breast surgery done alongside abdominal work, or liposuction of several areas with fat transfer.

Your surgery	Session	Price
Two or more procedures in one operation	Post-op lymphatic drainage, multiple surgeries, 90 min	$210
One procedure, or one area still swollen	Post-op lymphatic drainage, 60 min	$140
A short follow-up on one area	Post-op lymphatic drainage, 30 or 45 min	$105 or $115

In Jane, 60-minute post-op sessions can also be booked by procedure: abdominoplasty, 360 lipo and mommy makeover; breast surgery; face and neck; and 360 lipo with BBL. If you are unsure which listing matches your operation, call the clinic and we will book it for you. Recovery guides for specific combinations, such as the mommy makeover and 360 lipo, cover what each surgery involves.

Why combined surgery needs more time on the table

Every operated area has to be drained toward healthy lymph nodes, and each area adds ground to cover. Manual lymphatic drainage always opens the node regions first and then works the swollen tissue toward them, as the Cleveland Clinic describes, so a session that treats your abdomen, flanks and thighs has three sets of tissue to move through at the same gentle pace.

Surgery can also change the route. A 2022 study that mapped lymph flow in 20 women before and after abdominoplasty found that, before surgery, the lower abdomen drained toward the groin in every case. One and six months after, only 15 percent kept that route; 65 percent drained toward the armpits, and the remainder had mixed or unclear pathways. The authors suggest that manual lymphatic drainage should be adapted after surgery. When a tummy tuck is combined with breast or arm procedures, the armpit regions may be handling fluid from more than one operated area, which is exactly the kind of planning a longer session allows.

How the staged plan works across several areas

The plan is the same two stages whatever you had done, but combined surgery often keeps you in each stage a little longer because several areas are healing at once.

1. Stage 1, gentle swelling reduction (4 to 6 sessions). The early work targets immediate post-operative swelling and inflammation and supports overall lymphatic function. Expect two to three sessions a week in the first two weeks.
2. Stage 2, fibrosis management (6 or 10 sessions). Later sessions target hardened tissue and scar formation to improve contour and mobility, with visits easing to weekly as swelling settles.

Your therapist plans the stage packages with you at your first visit and adjusts them as you heal. Areas rarely recover at the same pace: a liposuctioned flank may soften while the tummy tuck incision line is still tight, so later sessions often spend more time where the tissue is slowest. For budgeting, see the cost of a full course of post-op lymphatic drainage, and for how many sessions people tend to need, how many sessions after lipo.

The research behind post-op drainage after combined body procedures is small but encouraging. In a 2014 clinical study of 18 women after liposuction or lipoabdominoplasty of the abdomen, flanks and lower trunk, twelve sessions of therapeutic ultrasound followed by MLD were associated with significant reductions in pain, swelling and tissue fibrosis. The study had no control group, so it shows a pattern rather than proof.

Garments, your surgeon and who treats you

Compression keeps fluid from building back up between sessions, and after combined surgery it may cover several areas at once. Compression garment fitting and ordering are available at Renu for every kind of surgery, in a 30-minute fitting ($25) with Meeghan Mackenzie, our Certified Compression Fitter; see compression garment fitting in Calgary. Fit matters: in its guidance on lymphedema garments, the National Lymphedema Network warns that ill-fitting garments have the potential to cause harm.

With your written consent, we will share treatment updates with your surgeon, answer their questions, or pass along concerns we notice during your sessions. Cosmetic post-op care is delivered through BodyTox by Renu, our lymphatic body studio in the same West Hillhurst clinic, by lymphatic-trained Registered Massage Therapists and our Certified Lymphedema Therapist. If you planned ahead, the pre-op lymphatic drainage page explains how a session before surgery feeds into this plan.

When to contact your surgeon instead

More procedures in one operation means more tissue healing at once, so know the warning signs. Contact your surgeon or a doctor right away if you have:

• a fever or chills;
• spreading redness, heat or hardness around an incision, pus or foul-smelling drainage, or an incision that begins to open;
• sudden, rapidly increasing swelling, or pain that is worsening or not controlled;
• skin that turns dark, dusky or blistered;
• pain, warmth or swelling in one calf or leg.

Call 911 for chest pain, sudden shortness of breath or coughing up blood. The Cleveland Clinic also advises against lymphatic drainage with infection, fever, blood clots or deep vein thrombosis, heart disease or kidney failure. If you are on antibiotics for a suspected infection, check with your surgeon or doctor before booking.

Questions people ask

Do I need the 90-minute session for every visit after combined surgery?

Not necessarily. The multiple-surgeries session is designed for two or more procedures in one surgery, and it makes most sense while several areas are swollen. As some areas settle, your therapist may suggest a 60-minute session focused on the area that still needs the most work.

Can I split my areas across two shorter appointments instead?

You can ask, and your therapist will tell you whether it suits your recovery. Each session starts by opening the lymph node regions before treating the operated areas, so one longer session usually covers more treatment time than two short ones.

My surgery was abroad and combined several procedures. Can I still book?

Yes. Bring your operative report and post-op instructions, translated if possible, tell us what treatments you have already had, and keep your surgeon's contact details handy. Know where you would go locally, such as your family doctor or urgent care, if a complication came up.

Is the multiple-surgeries session covered by insurance?

Post-op sessions at Renu are delivered by Registered Massage Therapists and a Certified Lymphedema Therapist, and you receive an official receipt after each one. Coverage depends on your plan, and some plans ask for a doctor's referral, so check before your first visit.

Sources

1. Indian Journal of Plastic Surgery (2014): Manual lymphatic drainage and therapeutic ultrasound in liposuction and lipoabdominoplasty post-operative period
2. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (2022): Changes in the pattern of superficial lymphatic drainage of the abdomen after abdominoplasty
3. Cleveland Clinic: Lymphatic drainage massage
4. National Lymphedema Network: Evidence-based practices for lymphedema risk reduction (position statement, 2026)

Page reviewed October 5, 2026. This page is education, not a diagnosis. For your own situation, talk to your doctor, surgeon or care team, or ask us.