Dr. says to wear compression vest for 2 weeks only!

[Cujster]

Hello all,

I had my surgery 2 weeks ago to remove both large glands and fat from both sides. However when I told my surgeon that I was wearing the compression vest he asked me to remove it and that I shouldn't be wearing it more than 2 weeks, which was opposite to what I've read here and in different websites that suggest patients should wear the CV for at least 4 weeks. Should I listen to him?

[Cpnh78]

Mine Dr. Said it o wear it after one week. I guess it depends on the dr. I still wear mine at night and will do so until I hit the 4 week mark

[Cujster]

I actually took off the vest and I feel like my chest is contouring better without it now for some reason. Now I am massaging the chest area with 2 selicone pieces just like what the Dr said. I think wearing the vest at night seems like a good idea though.

[drwz65]

I'd used it for an entire month, just like dr. said... But I actually felt the need to use it, because it felt like my skin wasn't so stick to my chest... Dr said that the action and the most important thing about the use of compression vest is to avoid swelling during the healing process

[barbarney]

Mine Doctor told me to wear it 24 hours for the first week and only 12 hours the second week. I'm on my third week recovery and not wearing it any longer.

[peterpan1983]

I was curious about this too, I was told to wear mine 2 weeks 24 hours a day, then 2 weeks 12 hours a day. I had lipo and two golf ball sized glands/breast tissue removed with the usual circular incisions under the nipples.

I'm 2 weeks post op and I feel like I want to keep it on as long as possible to promote better healing but is there any scientific evidence that the compression garment helps with shaping or bonding the skin back with the flesh?

Any doctors care to share their opinions?

Thanks
Pete

[KarmaSS]

Hi,
My doctor originally said to wear it all the time for 2-3 weeks. But then during my one week post op appointment on Tuesday, he said that I could (not should) wear it for longer like 5-6 weeks. He said that it would better help my skin stay bonded to my chest and reduce swelling. I'm not sure about any scientific evidence but I'm sure he had a beneficial reason to suggest that I could continue wearing it. It's not THAT uncomfortable for me anymore, slightly annoying, it used to hurt with the gauze and padding after surgery but it's ok now. Even if its more uncomfortable for you, how about wearing it for a bit longer and loosening it slightly to feel more comfortable? (but not enough to negate the compression's effects). Then you can start reducing how much you wear it over time (e.g. night only). I think it's more detrimental not to wear it for long enough than to wear it for longer than needed.