Why I Put This Webinar Together
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Most therapists working with postoperative patients treat swelling and tissue changes every day, yet have rarely watched the surgery that produces them. Chances are, you were also not taught the science explaining why your treatment has the effect it does.
This session closes both gaps. You will watch an annotated recording of a lipo-abdominoplasty procedure, taking you through the whole procedure from start to finish, edited down to the key stages. You will see for yourself what happens to the tissues and the lymphatic vessels you go on to treat, watch the MLD treatment protocol demonstrated on an acute postoperative patient, and understand the lymphatic science that underpins everything your hands are doing in the early recovery period.
It is a teaching session put together for qualified therapists who want to understand this work more deeply, not just follow a routine.
What this webinar will help you recognise
BEFORE
You treat postoperative patients, or you want to, but you have never watched the surgery that creates the swelling and tissue changes you work with. You may feel unsure about treating someone in the vital acute phase, the first two weeks after surgery, when the tissues are healing, and the patient is at their most vulnerable. You may be questioning how the procedure alters the lymphatic drainage pathways, why light pressure is enough, or what is actually happening beneath your hands in those early days.Â
AFTER
You will have seen a lipo-abdominoplasty from start to finish, and understood how it changes the tissues and lymphatic vessels you go on to treat. You will understand the lymphatic system's role in the microcirculation and in wound healing, why gentle, light treatment is effective in the acute phase, and how the MLD protocol is applied. You will also see where the wider decongestive therapies fit alongside MLD: compression, foam, lymphatic K-taping and negative pressure, each taught in full at the Advanced Workshop.
Meet Your Webinar Host
Petra Erving is a Certified Lymphoedema Therapist, experienced MLD therapist, Scar Tissue Therapist, and founder of The Aftercare Academy.
With over 20 years in clinical practice, Petra has worked with postoperative, lymphoedema, lipoedema, and complex patients across major London teaching hospitals, hospice care, private practice, and a number of plastic surgery clinics.
Her work focuses on helping qualified therapists develop a safer, more clinically informed treatment approach to patients after cosmetic and aesthetic plastic surgery, built on real clinical experience rather than a fixed routine.
Her knowledge base has been developed alongside leading UK experts, including dermatologists, oncologists, plastic and reconstructive surgeons, and clinical nurse specialists, giving her teaching a depth that reflects genuine multidisciplinary experience.
Through The Aftercare Academy, Petra trains therapists in procedure-specific postoperative care, with a strong focus on safety, scope of practice, clinical decision-making, and protecting vulnerable patients in the early stages of healing.
RESERVE YOUR PLACEWhat Previous Webinar Attendees Have Said
Here is what therapists said after joining Petra's recent webinar series.
Julie, Wigan
“Myself and a couple of friends watched the webinars, and we rang each other immediately afterwards, literally buzzing. It's so good. I love the way you demonstrate and teach”
Suzanne, San Diego
“Loved it, Petra. It was great, and I expected greatness.”
Catherine G.
“Three excellent webinars, Petra, with a grand finale. Huge thanks”
Mel, Sussex
"Wow, thank you so much, Petra, for such an informative session, and such amazing explanations."
Tracey O.
"Thank you so much, this has been an amazing series"
What you’ll take away from this webinar
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In this clinical webinar, you will understand:
What a lipo-abdominoplasty involves, and how it differs from a standard abdominoplasty- What the surgery does to the tissues and lymphatic vessels that you go on to treat
- The lymphatic system's role in the microcirculation and in wound healing
- How the surgery alters the lymph drainage pathways, and where to direct swelling
- Why gentle, light treatment is effective, and why heavier pressure risks harm
- How the MLD protocol is applied to an acute postoperative patient
- Where compression, foam, lymphatic K-taping, and negative pressure fit alongside MLD
Bring a Case for Live Review
When you register, you can submit a clinical question or a real case you are working through. A small number will be chosen for live review, where Petra works through your situation during the session.
This is a rare opportunity to have a specialist with over 20 years of postoperative experience look closely at a patient you are treating and talk through the clinical decision-making, from assessment to treatment approach, out loud and in detail.
Places are limited, and cases are chosen ahead of the session, so submit yours when you register. Even if your case is not selected, every question helps shape the live discussion, so the teaching stays close to what you most want to understand.
Why attend live
The replay is available for 14 days if you cannot make the date.
But there are things you can only do if you join live.
You can submit a case and have Petra review your own patient during the session.
You can ask your clinical questions in the live Q&A and get them answered on the day.
And your questions will help steer the discussion, so the session covers what you most need to understand.
If you can be there on the day, it is worth it.