Therapeutic Approaches Used as a Tool for Functional and Aesthetic Restoration in Plastic Surgery Post-Operative Phase: A Literature Review

Abstract

The dermato-functional physiotherapist can prepare patients for cosmetic surgery, aiming at reducing the occurrence of tissue complications during and after the procedure. Several techniques are used by physiotherapy, such as therapeutic ultrasound (TUS), manual lymphatic drainage (MLD), electrothermophototherapy, therapeutic kinesiotaping. The aim of this study was, through a literature review of the last 21 years, to verify which are the therapeutic, dermo-functional approaches used as a functional and aesthetic reestablishment tool in the postoperative plastic surgery. The main results showed that for the treatment of fibrosis, 100% of the authors used MLD, for edema, there was association of MLD with: microcurrent, LED, taping, TUS, and cryotherapy. In the treatment of pain, MLD was effective in 100% of articles, and in 33% there was an association of MLD with TUS. In the treatment for capsular contracture the TUS was used. Improvement of scar appearance was possible by applying fractional CO2 laser. It is concluded that MLD was the most used method among the studies, showing the wide efficacy of the technique. In addition to therapeutic ultrasound, which has been widely used for the treatment of edema, pain, and fibrosis to the treatment of capsular contracture.