Do You Need Your Surgeon's Clearance Before Starting Lymphatic Drainage?

Yes — and it's the one rule I won't bend on, no matter how eager a client is to start their recovery routine.

Why this rule exists

I'm not trained or positioned to judge when it's safe to begin work on a recently operated area — that's a clinical decision that depends on your specific surgery and healing, and it belongs to the surgeon who did the procedure. A therapist who starts working on that area without clearance is taking a risk with someone else's recovery, and that's not a risk I take.

What "clearance" actually means in practice

It doesn't need to be a formal letter — most clients simply relay what their surgeon or aftercare team told them about when they can start manual therapy, sometimes alongside written aftercare notes. I ask about this as part of the standard health questionnaire before any post-operative session is booked, and if there's any doubt, the session waits until it's confirmed.

What happens if you're not cleared yet

If you reach out before your surgeon has given the go-ahead, I'll still take the consultation to go through what to expect and get your slot planned — I just won't book the first hands-on session until clearance is confirmed, and there's no penalty for asking early. This is also true for clients who are keen to start earlier than their surgeon has advised; I follow the surgeon's timeline, not the client's preference or my own calendar.

When clearance covers one area but not another

Multi-site procedures sometimes get cleared unevenly — your surgeon might sign off on your abdomen while asking you to wait longer on another area. When that happens, tell me exactly what's been cleared and what hasn't, area by area; I'll work only within what's confirmed and leave the rest alone until you bring an updated answer, rather than treating a partial clearance as a green light for the whole session.

If clearance changes mid-course

Surgeons sometimes revise their guidance at a follow-up appointment partway through your sessions — pausing one area, extending another, or changing frequency. Whatever your surgeon updates takes priority over whatever was previously agreed; I'd rather pause a session to confirm than continue on instructions that may no longer apply.

What counts as enough information

A note from a follow-up appointment, a line in your discharge paperwork, or simply telling me what your surgeon said out loud all count — I don't need a specific document format, just a clear answer that actually came from them. If what you've been told is vague, I'll ask the follow-up questions myself rather than filling the gap with a guess.

Once you're cleared

From there, the process is straightforward: bring your surgeon's instructions to the first appointment, complete the questionnaire, and I build the session around what you've been told. Sessions are £80 for 60 minutes, with introductory packages (5 for £275, 10 for £500) for an ongoing course.

Full details on the protocol are on the Pre & Post-Operative Lymphatic Drainage page. If you're planning ahead of surgery, see Before Your Surgery: How to Prepare for what the consultation covers.

Once you have your surgeon's clearance, message WhatsApp 07889 809678, or use the bookings page — Wednesday 11am–7pm, Sunday 11am–4pm, Stockwell Green SW9 9JF. The studio, a private one-to-one room inside Beauty Desire on Stockwell Green, is open Wednesday and Sunday, and I work in English or Portuguese; the studio's Instagram, @ellastudiobeautyuk, shows the room if you'd like to see the space while you wait.