Post-Op Recovery

MLD addresses fluid; recovery is more than fluid. Acupuncture supports pain regulation, post-operative nausea, sleep, and stress physiology — the latter delays healing if unaddressed. Nutritional support targets collagen synthesis and the gut effects of anaesthesia. The four-pillar protocol works on the recovery the way the surgeon worked on the structural problem.

MLD typically starts 24 to 72 hours after surgery for procedures like liposuction, slightly later for larger procedures (abdominoplasty, large breast reductions). Acupuncture can usually start within the first week — earlier for nausea or pain control where indicated. We never start without surgeon clearance.

No — and we never recommend stopping prescribed medication. Acupuncture for pain regulation works alongside opioid or other analgesia, often allowing a faster taper, but the prescribing decision sits with your surgeon or GP. We coordinate with them.

Your surgeon's plan leads — always. We adapt our programme to fit it, not the other way round. If a surgeon specifies a particular MLD frequency, pressure, or compression-garment regimen, we deliver to that specification. Where we have a clinical concern about a plan, we raise it with you and (with your consent) with the surgical team.

Some UK private medical insurers reimburse MLD for specific surgical indications, particularly oncological. Aesthetic-surgery recovery is rarely covered, even where the surgery itself was insurer-funded. Bring your policy details to the planning session and we will help you confirm what is covered before booking the full block.