Can I take my vest off

[There_Is_Hope]

I just had my op yesterday. It says not to take the vest off for 7 days, but I just want to see what's underneath. I want to quickly see what my new chest looks like. Can I? Should I? Will taking the vest off for a minute mess me up?

Thanks and sorry for so many posts about the vest lately.

[rcbrown23]

I would say wait at least 48 hours. Then just a peek and put the vest right back on. If he wanted it on for 7 days straight, then there must be a reason.

I waited 3 days, then took it off and showered best and as quickly as I could.

[Vail]

I was taking my mine off to shower starting the next day.  Everyones got to shower, plus no one wants an infection.  Gotta clean that stuff.  Just make sure you put it on right after youre done.

[Grandpa Bambu]

Wore the tensor wrap that the hospital gave me for 2 days. Took it off as it made me very itchy. Went without compression for 4 days until my 6th day follow-up. JCF said that I should have some form of compression and had a student nurse put another on me. Went out and bought a Dale Ab Binder. The Ab Binder does not itch and was very easy to put on and take off. Wore the Ab Binder for two weeks and haven't worn it since.

John.

[nukem2k5]

My PS said to wear for a week.  Took it off for 30 minutes a few times to shower.  Took it off during post-op day #6 to go out to lunch, put it back on around midnight and wore as I slept.  Took it off after I woke up.

[There_Is_Hope]

I see inconsistancies in the way you guys recovered, and what my doctor says.

First off, I wasn't told anything by my doctor. All I was given after surgery was a print out given to all gyne patients after their op. It says 7 days before your first shower, and 14 days of compression 24 hours a day and 14 days of compression while you sleep.

I want to take a shower! And I itch like hell.

[nukem2k5]

Oh man I know the feeling.  I'd stick to what he says but I doubt 30 minutes to take it off and shower would hurt.

Mine said he's never seen any benefit from wearing compression for more than a week so I've already stopped.

[There_Is_Hope]

I wish my mom would trust you guys. I constantly show her these threads and whatnot but she's still convinced that the Doctor's print-out for gyne patients (I was wrong, it's a general print-out for lipo patients) is right. Can't blame her though. I think I'm just gonna take the vest off when I leave the house but only after a week.

[rcbrown23]

I'm wearing mine 23/7 still and I'm 3 weeks post.

After my first op, I had a build up of scar tissue at three and a half weeks post op. It was right after I took my vest off. Another guy just wrote me and said that he had good looking results up untill week 4, right after he stopped wearing the vest. He said all the sudden there was hard scar tissue that was also very sore and he can't get rid of it.

I don't know if I'm being paranoid, but I'm not risking it. I'm going to slowly "ween" myself off the vest. Right now I take it off for about 2-3 hours a day and I'll build that up over the next couple of weeks untill I only wear it at night...then no more vest.

Mine is really comfortable and I can wear just a t-shirt over it and you can't see a thing, though. It doesn't really bother me. If your's is different - sucks for you.

-Brown

[nukem2k5]

Why would that be scar tissue?  My PS mentioned healing tissue that may build up and make my chest seem somewhat lumpy but that it'll go away in the next few months.

Hopefully it'll work for you, Brown.  I have found that my chest is not exactly the same as it is when I take off the vest after having worn it for the night.  I don't know if it's scar tissue, healing tissue, or just my chest decompressing.

[help_me87]

I want to take a shower! And I itch like hell.

you dont even know the half of it!! the nurses at the hospital put a bandage on me that i was allergic to.... like severely allergic. i didnt take it off for three days... but by the time i did.. i had a HUGE rash, and i was starting to blister   . now THATS what itchy is like.

After that bandage incident.. I wore a tensor for around three weeks, then went off it totally. pleased with my lipo results, except for the darn nipples!...