2nd stage compression vest

[sandokan]

 Hello everyone. What 2nd stage compression vest do you recommend to your patients? (my doctor said he will provide the 1st one)
I need a good quality one, b/c  my job requires me to do lots of movements and lifting.
Also, is the general rule that the stage 1 vest be worn for the first 3 weeks before moving to the stage 2?
Thanx for all your help.

[Dr. Elliot Jacobs]

Some docs recommend a stage one garment (one with zippers or hooks to make it easy to put them on) and then a stage two garment, which in essence is just a pull-over.  The idea behind the two garments is that one should not move one's arms too much initially after surgery -- hence the easy to put on stage 1 garment.  Once healing has progressed, then you can struggle a bit with a pullover garment (stage 2).

I try to keep things simple.  For most of my patients, I use an UnderArmor (or the like) snug compression garment topped by a very firm compression binder.  Moving the arms a bit after surgery to pull the UnderArmor over the head does absolutely no harm.  For some heavier patients, I actually use three layers -- an UnderArmor, a compression vest (with hooks and eyes) to hold everything in place and add one additional layer of compression, and then everything topped with a binder -- which does the real yeoman's work.  But that is what works best for me.  Other docs will have their own routine.

However, I have always failed to see the need for sequential stage 1 and stage 2 garments -- it is simply a waste of money.

Dr Jacobs

[Litlriki]

I use the standard vests the first week, for the reason Dr. Jacobs mentioned, in order to minimize how much the patient has to do to get the garment on.  After the first week, I recommend a compression shirt, such as the ones made by UnderArmor, which are less expensive than the garments that can be purchased specifically for post-liposuction patients.  I have worn UnderArmor, and they are not the easiest things to get on and off normally, so that's why I don't use them in most cases during the first week.  The one instance where I do suggest that patients use them early is when they need a lot of liposuction high in the armpit, which tends to be poorly compressed by most of the vests.

Rick Silverman

[DrPensler]

I use a stage one compression vest with a zipper. I do not typically utilize a second stage garment. I tell patients if they want some additional support either continue to use the stage 1 garment or utilize one of many products by underarmor.