Gain the knowledge surgeons trust and clients value—before you even touch the treatment table

Welcome to the Training

Welcome to the Online portion of the Transforming Postoperative Patient Care training program.

I'm pleased you have decided to take this step towards levelling up your knowledge and skills to become more confident that the treatments you provide your patients are safe and effective.

By the time you finish this online training, you will have all the relevant theories to be ready to move on to the hands-on stuff. I am SO excited to have the opportunity to share some of what I've learned over the years with you. 

There is a diverse range of knowledge, backgrounds and experience in all of you attending this training. So, I foresee some incredible, valuable discussions taking place. 

The aims and objectives of this training program are as follows:

On completion of training, you will be able to:

1. Explain the anatomy and physiology of the face and the body's lymphatic system.
2. Explain fluid balance and how surgery affects fluid dynamics.
3. Explain the 3 intentions and 4 phases of wound healing
4. Explain the importance of nutrition in wound healing.
5. Explain what cosmetic plastic surgery procedures involve and the potential effects on the patient.
6. Identify common and complex postoperative complications and when to refer back to the surgeon.
7. Address pre and postoperative stress and anxiety and demonstrate techniques to reduce them.
8. Demonstrate proficiency in patient assessment and devising a bespoke treatment plan based on the patient’s surgery, presentation, and stage of wound healing.
9. Explain why compression is important and how it works.
10. Demonstrate proficiency in treatment techniques, including:
    1. Manual lymph drainage of the face and body, specific to cosmetic plastic surgery procedures
    2. Compression garment assessment and use of foam inserts
    3. K-Taping
    4. Positioning, padding and bolstering
    5. Multilayer bandaging for liposuction for lipoedema (not all workshops will have this included)
    6. Scar and fibrosis treatment

In this online training, we will cover:

1. Anatomy and Physiology of the Lymphatic System and How Surgery Affects it
2. The Wound Healing Process: The three intentions and the four phases
3. Scar Formation and Types of Scars
4. Fibrosis: how and why it occurs and what it REALLY  is
5. Getting to know Plastic Surgery Procedures
6. Common and Complex Complications
7. Understanding compression
8. Pathophysiology of Lipoedema

Each module has individual lessons inside and there is an assessment to complete at the end of each module. You cannot move on to the next module until you achieve a 70% pass on the assessment. But don't worry! The assessments are multiple choice and if you don't pass the first time, you keep doing it until you pass.

Once you achieve a pass, the next module will be unlocked and you work your way through the training like this.

By the time you finish this online training, you will be ready for the hands-on portion of the training.

The in-person workshop will cover:

Treatment protocols for individual cosmetic plastic surgery procedures. This will include:

• Positioning, padding and bolstering
• K-Taping
• Negative pressure
• Compression garment selection and assessment
• Indications for and making bespoke foam inserts

Cosmetic Plastic Surgery Procedures we will cover:

1. Abdominoplasty
2. Brazilian Butt Lift and 360 Liposuction
3. Breast Surgery (including Mastectomy)
4. Facelift, rhinoplasty and Brachioplasty

In some workshops, we will address multilayer bandaging for postoperative liposuction for lipoedema. But not all workshops will have this included. When you signed up for a specific workshop, you will have been notified if MLLB training is included.

There will be A LOT of content to get through in the four days. If we don't have time during class times, we will have voluntary evening 'discussion forums' to cover the following topics:

• Early scar management
• Lipoedema
• Types of liposuction and potential complications
• Different Breast surgery and potential complications
• Fees and marketing

I have added a workbook for you to download so you can keep notes of anything you would like to discuss. If you have questions that need to be answered immediately, use the 'comment' section below each lesson. I will get a notification of your question or comment and will respond as soon as I can.

Please feel free to add comments. You don't have to use that section to ask questions. If you have a comment to make on a particular lesson, please feel free to write it.

Finally, I haven't gone into detail about me and my background because no doubt you will have researched me before you decided to join this training. However, if you want more information about me and my background, you can find it HERE 

All that's left for me to say now is, I hope you enjoy the training, and I look forward to seeing you on the workshop.

The Lymphatic System & Fluid Dynamics

Uncover the vital role the lymphatic system plays in recovery and how surgery can disrupt its natural balance. This lesson introduces key principles of fluid movement in the body and why understanding these pathways is crucial for effective postoperative care. By grasping these foundations, you’ll be better prepared to explore the more detailed concepts in later lessons.

In this lesson, you’ll explore the foundational role of the lymphatic system and why it’s essential for maintaining fluid balance, immune defence, and overall health. You’ll learn how lymph travels through a network of vessels and nodes to filter waste and protect the body. The lesson also introduces the value of manual lymphatic therapy in supporting this system — particularly following surgery or trauma.

In this lesson, you’ll discover how lymph is formed and moved through the body using both internal processes — like muscle contractions and breathing — and external support such as manual therapy. You’ll explore the role of lymph nodes in filtering waste and learn how the system’s unidirectional flow prevents stagnation. By the end, you’ll have a clearer understanding of how the lymphatic system maintains balance and how it can be supported during recovery.

In this lesson, you’ll be introduced to the body’s superficial and deep lymphatic drainage pathways and how lymph moves directionally toward regional lymph nodes and the venous angles. You’ll also learn about watershed lines and lymphatic territories — essential for understanding how and where fluid should be redirected. This knowledge is key to respecting the body’s natural drainage patterns and ensuring safe, effective manual lymphatic therapy.

Microcirculation & Recovery

In this lesson, you’ll explore the structure and function of the microcirculation — the network of capillaries, arterioles, venules, and interstitial spaces that supports fluid exchange between blood vessels and tissues. You’ll learn how excess fluid is picked up by the lymphatic system and why this connection is so important in managing swelling, inflammation, and healing after surgery. Understanding this relationship deepens your ability to support effective lymphatic drainage and optimise recovery outcomes.

The Starling Equation

The original Starling Principle describes how fluid moves between capillaries and tissues through the opposing forces of hydrostatic and oncotic pressure. This foundational concept shaped how we once understood filtration and reabsorption — and greatly influenced early approaches to lymphatic therapy. By revisiting this model, you'll gain important context for how fluid regulation theories have evolved in modern microvascular science.

The Glycocalyx

Discover how the endothelial glycocalyx — a delicate, hair-like layer lining blood vessels — has reshaped our understanding of fluid exchange. Its influence on oncotic pressure gradients reveals why reabsorption rarely occurs in most tissues, positioning the lymphatic system as the main pathway for fluid return. This updated perspective is crucial for basing lymphatic therapy on current science rather than outdated models.

New Fluid Balance

This video outlines the revised understanding of fluid balance in the body, emphasising that nearly all filtered fluid returns via the lymphatic system rather than capillary reabsorption. It highlights the significance of the endothelial glycocalyx and explains how modern science has shifted the focus from vascular to lymphatic pathways for maintaining tissue homeostasis. Viewers will gain a clear understanding of why supporting lymphatic function is essential in both health and clinical care.

Hydrostatic Pressure

Hydrostatic pressure is the force that pushes fluid out of capillaries and into surrounding tissues, and it plays a key role in how fluid moves through the microcirculation. This lesson explores how that pressure shifts along a capillary’s length and why it matters for swelling, inflammation, and recovery. Understanding this principle helps explain the need for effective lymphatic drainage in postoperative care.

Oncotic Pressure

Oncotic pressure refers to the pull exerted by plasma proteins, especially albumin, to keep fluid within the capillaries. This lesson explores how changes in this force can cause fluid to leak into tissues, leading to swelling or oedema. You’ll also see how oncotic and hydrostatic pressures work together to influence lymphatic load — a key concept in understanding and managing effective drainage.

Osmosis

Osmosis is the passive movement of water across a semipermeable membrane, driven by differences in solute concentration. This lesson explores how that process helps maintain fluid balance between blood vessels and surrounding tissues, and how shifts in solute levels — particularly proteins — can alter water movement. Understanding this mechanism is key to recognising its impact on swelling and the demands placed on the lymphatic system.

Filtration

Filtration is the process of fluid moving out of blood capillaries and into the surrounding tissues, primarily under the influence of hydrostatic pressure. In this lesson, you’ll see how it occurs mainly at the arterial end of capillaries to support tissue hydration and nutrient delivery. You’ll also explore how excessive or prolonged filtration can cause oedema, highlighting why effective lymphatic drainage is essential for maintaining fluid balance.

Adapting Drainage Techniques to Altered Anatomy

Surgical procedures such as liposuction, abdominoplasty, and tissue removal can disrupt the lymphatic system, altering natural drainage pathways. This lesson explains how vessels may be severed or rerouted and the impact this has on fluid movement and recovery. You’ll learn why recognising these changes is essential for adapting lymphatic therapy techniques to protect healing tissues, restore effective drainage, and minimise complications.

Why Managing Swelling Early Makes All the Difference

Surgery or trauma can lead to a build-up of interstitial fluid, increasing tissue pressure and compressing lymphatic capillaries. This reduces the lymphatic system’s ability to absorb and transport fluid, raising the risk of stagnation, inflammation, and fibrosis. This lesson explains why timely, targeted lymphatic support is vital for preventing complications and promoting optimal healing.

Adapting drainage pathways after surgical changes

This lesson explains how certain surgeries—such as abdominoplasty, breast reduction, and facelift—can alter normal lymphatic drainage routes by removing or repositioning tissue and creating scar lines that block lymph flow. Using diagrams, it illustrates how scars can become new anatomical midlines, redirecting fluid toward alternative lymph node groups. Viewers will learn how to modify manual lymphatic drainage techniques post-surgery to work with these altered pathways, ensuring fluid is moved effectively while avoiding areas that may be too fragile in the early healing stages.

When Capillary Reabsorption Can Still Happen

While the lymphatic system is the main pathway for returning interstitial fluid to circulation, there are rare exceptions. This lesson explores one such case in the digestive tract’s villi, where limited capillary reabsorption occurs as part of nutrient absorption. You’ll see why this exception is highly specialised and why it doesn’t change the lymphatic system’s central role in fluid regulation throughout the body.

Anatomy & Physiology

Assessment

Test your understanding of the key principles you’ve explored so far, from lymphatic pathways to fluid dynamics and capillary forces. This assessment helps consolidate what you’ve learned and ensures you’re ready to move on to the next stage of training. Passing it unlocks the following lessons and prepares you for the more advanced concepts ahead.

Introduction to Scar Formation

This module dives into how and why scars form — and what makes some scars pathophysiological rather than part of normal healing. You’ll explore the timeline of scar development, the differences between scars, adhesions, and fibrosis, and the factors that contribute to problematic scarring. By understanding the various types of scars and their underlying mechanisms, you’ll be better equipped to support patients’ recovery and manage expectations around postoperative results.

When Healing Doesn’t Follow the Usual Path

Pathophysiological scars develop when the normal wound healing process is disrupted, leading to outcomes such as hypertrophic scars, keloids, or atrophic scars. These irregularities can be triggered by prolonged inflammation, impaired lymphatic drainage, or mechanical tension placed on healing tissues. In this lesson, you’ll learn how to identify these scar types and why early, targeted intervention can make a significant difference in improving long-term appearance and tissue function.

Unpacking the Triggers Behind Overactive Healing

Excessive collagen production often stems from a combination of prolonged inflammation, inadequate lymphatic clearance, mechanical stress on healing tissues, and genetic factors that predispose some individuals to more aggressive scar formation. These influences can result in scars that are raised, rigid, or fibrotic. This lesson explains why early management—particularly controlling inflammation and optimising lymphatic function—is key to guiding the healing process toward a smoother, more functional outcome.

Recognising the Patterns of Healing Gone Awry

The main scar types—such as normotrophic, hypertrophic, keloid, atrophic, and wide scars—each have distinct appearances, textures, and growth behaviours. Some remain confined to the original wound area, while others spread beyond, becoming raised, rigid, or sunken. This lesson breaks down how each type forms, what influences their development, and why tailored therapeutic strategies are essential for improving both function and aesthetics.

Scar Formation & Types of Scars Assessment

Check your understanding of scar formation, the different scar types, and the factors that influence their development. This assessment helps you review key concepts from the module and ensures you’re ready to progress to more advanced topics in postoperative care. Passing unlocks the next stage of training and builds your confidence in recognising and explaining scar patterns.

Introduction to Plastic Surgery Procedures

This module introduces you to key plastic and cosmetic surgery procedures, giving you an inside look at what happens during operations like abdominoplasty, facelifts, liposuction, and Brazilian Butt Lifts. Through curated surgical videos, you’ll start to connect how these procedures affect different body systems — especially the lymphatic system — and what this means for healing and postoperative care.

By observing real techniques and outcomes, you’ll deepen your understanding of the physical impact of surgery and be better prepared to anticipate complications, support recovery, and apply the theoretical knowledge you’ve built so far.

Preparing for Postoperative Patients

This module focuses on everything you need in place before your patient arrives — from essential stock and equipment to comfort aids like padding and bolsters. You’ll also learn the importance of having intake, consent, and assessment forms completed in advance, ensuring a smooth and professional experience for both you and your clients.

Included are sample forms, downloadable resources, and shareable tools covering exercises, nutrition, relaxation, and more — all designed to help you provide a complete and supportive postoperative service.