Physiotherapy and exercise physiology can help you prepare for plastic surgery and recover well afterwards. Before surgery we help build your strength, movement and fitness, and after surgery we work within your surgeon’s instructions to help you safely return to everyday activities.
What is plastic surgery?
There are two types of plastic surgery: reconstructive plastic surgery and cosmetic plastic surgery.
The Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons describes reconstructive plastic surgery as surgery to improve the body’s function. It is performed on abnormal structures of the body caused by congenital defects, developmental abnormalities, trauma, infection, tumours or disease (Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons, 2022).
Cosmetic surgery focuses on improving a person’s appearance by altering or reshaping a part of the body (Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons, 2022).
Some examples include breast surgery, tummy tucks and rectus abdominis repairs.
What is a tummy tuck?
A tummy tuck, or abdominoplasty, is surgery to remove excess skin and fat from the lower abdomen.
What is a rectus abdominis repair?
This procedure repairs the large abdominal muscle down the front of your body that runs from your ribs to your pelvis. It is usually done for:
- A complete tear of the rectus abdominis muscle
- Severe abdominal trauma
- Cancer
- Abdominal hernia
- Severe separation of the abdominal muscles after pregnancy
Physiotherapy can also help people recovering from other abdominal operations, such as weight-loss (bariatric) surgery like gastric banding. Gastric banding is not plastic surgery. It is a weight-loss procedure where an adjustable band is placed around the upper part of the stomach to reduce how much food you can eat at one time.
Breast surgery
There are a number of breast surgeries, and each one can look different for each person. Examples include:
- Breast augmentation (surgery to increase the size of the breasts)
- Breast reduction (surgery to reduce the size of the breasts)
- Breast reconstruction (surgery to rebuild the breast, sometimes using tissue from other areas of the body)
- Breast implant removal
- Mastectomy (surgical removal of breast tissue to prevent or treat breast cancer)
For some people, breast surgery is to prevent or treat breast cancer. For others, it may be to manage ongoing back and shoulder pain from large breasts, or for personal preference. Whatever the reason, seeing a physiotherapist or exercise physiologist before and after surgery can help your recovery.
How can my physio help before surgery?
Physiotherapy and exercise physiology can help improve your strength, range of movement and fitness before surgery. We can also give you pain management strategies. This “prehab” may improve your recovery, and people who complete it often return to their usual activities sooner.
Why see a physio after surgery?
Physiotherapy after your operation can help with:
- Breathing exercises to reduce the risk of chest complications
- Pain management
- Abdominal and arm strengthening, when your surgeon allows
- Upper limb range of movement after breast surgery
- Posture education
- Scar tissue and swelling management, including manual therapy
- Fitness, exercise tolerance and returning to everyday activities
- Reducing risks such as blood clots, hernias and abdominal doming
Like all surgery, your surgeon will limit some movements to make sure your body heals properly. Rest and follow your surgeon’s instructions. Your physiotherapist will keep in touch with your surgeon so your exercises suit your current stage of healing and your surgeon’s recommendations.
Gentle movement, such as walking, breathing exercises and leg exercises, often starts soon after surgery, as advised by your surgical team. Your physio will then progress your program step by step as you heal.
After breast surgery, posture education and exercises are also important to help prevent muscle imbalances during walking and everyday tasks. Our guide to posture and workstation set-up has some useful tips.
*All information is general in nature and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Physionorth can consult with you to confirm if this advice is right for you.
References
Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons, 2022. Available at: https://plasticsurgery.org.au/ [Accessed 16 July 2022].
Physio.co.uk, 2022. Rectus Abdominis Repair. Available at: https://www.physio.co.uk/what-we-treat/surgery/abdominals/rectus-abdominis-repair.php [Accessed 15 July 2022].
