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Postoperative Tissue Literacy
Postoperative treatment starts with understanding what has happened to the body.
Surgery changes anatomy, disrupts lymphatic pathways, creates inflammation and alters the way tissues present during healing.
Postoperative Tissue Literacy is the ability to recognise those changes, understand what may be contributing to the presentation in front of you, and use that understanding to inform your assessment and treatment decisions.
What You See Is Only Part of the Clinical Picture
Swelling, tissue thickening and congestion, bruising, altered sensation, and wound changes may all be visible after surgery.
But the presentation you see on the surface does not tell you, on its own, what is happening underneath.
To understand what the patient may need from you, you need to consider the procedure they have had, the stages of healing, what tissues have been disrupted, how lymphatic drainage may have been compromised, and what else may be contributing to the presentation.
This is where your assessment begins.
Before Treatment Begins
A postoperative treatment should never begin with just applying a technique. It begins with a full assessment of the patient in front of you.
That means bringing together:
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Their medical and surgical history
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The procedure performed and when it took place
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Recent travel and any previous postoperative treatment
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What you can observe
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Wounds, dressings and compression
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What you feel through gentle palpation
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Their current stage of healing
Each piece of information adds context to the presentation and helps you decide what is appropriate today.
Only then can you make the treatment decision.
The Treatment Decision
Once you have assessed the patient and considered the full postoperative picture, the next step is deciding what is appropriate for them today.
That decision may be to:
TREAT — when the presentation is within your scope of practice and treatment is appropriate.
ADAPT — when treatment can go ahead, but needs to be modified for the patient's procedure, healing stage or current presentation.
DELAY — when the tissues need more time to heal or medical guidance before treatment should continue.
REFER — when something you identify requires assessment by the surgeon or another healthcare professional.
The framework is simple.
The skill is knowing which decision belongs to the patient in front of you.
A clinically informed training pathway
This workshop brings together the clinical understanding, supervised practical skills, and clinical decision-making needed for safer postoperative care.
Before you attend
Complete pre-course online theory to strengthen your understanding of anatomy, wound healing, surgical procedures, contraindications, red flags, and safety.
During the workshop
Spend five days in a small-group, supervised learning environment where you practise adapted postoperative MLD approaches, compression assessment, foam, lymphatic K-taping, scar care progression, and procedure-specific treatment planning.
Surgical observation
Observe live surgery where available, with guided commentary to help you connect what happens in theatre with what patients may present with during recovery.
What's includedÂ
Before the workshop
12 hours of pre-course online theory covering:
- lymphatic anatomy and physiology
- fluid dynamics and wound healing
- cosmetic and aesthetic plastic surgery procedures
- contraindications, cautions, red flags, and safety considerations
During the 5-day workshop
42.5 hours of in-person teaching, including:
- live surgery observation, where available
- adapted postoperative MLD approaches for face and body procedures
- compression assessment and garment considerations
- foam cutting and lymphatic K-taping
- scar care progression and adhesion considerations
- recognising concerns, red flags, and when to refer back to the surgical team
- treatment planning across different procedures and stages of recovery
After the workshop
You’ll also receive:
- certificate of completion, subject to assessment requirements
- approved learning hours
- access to the relevant graduate support option, depending on your chosen tier
- opportunity to apply for the Aftercare Academy register of qualified therapists
Is this workshop the right next step for you?
This workshop is a good fit if you:
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have completed at least 40 hours of recognised MLD training, or hold a recognised lymphoedema qualification
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want to work more safely and with greater clarity when treating patients after plastic surgery
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are ready to understand tissue healing, surgical variation, complications, and professional boundaries in greater depth
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want to become a stronger referral option for surgeons and clinics
This workshop is not suitable if you:
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have only completed Brazilian lymphatic or body contouring style training
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have less than 40 hours of recognised hands-on MLD education
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are looking for a quick qualification without deeper clinical learning
- do not yet have the required MLD foundation
Not sure whether your current training meets the entry requirements?
Please book a call before enrolling.Â
What therapists say after the 5-Day Advanced Workshop
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These are therapists who have completed the training and returned to their own practice.
LUCY
This training course was a game changer for me, a turning point. It seemed pricey compared to the pre and post-operative training I had done with another school, but that course had left me feeling unconvinced and underprepared for the post-operative patients I had seen. Now I feel secure in my skills and abilities, and can offer these clients a full, professional service that I am proud of.
OLIVIA
Before training with The Aftercare Academy, I had limited experience, and my previous education was very different. Since completing the 5-day Advanced workshop, I have been fully booked months in advance, despite significantly increasing my prices. I am doing the work I love.
LAINE
Even with experience and training in post-op MLD, it is valuable to keep learning. Petra has passion and a steady approach, and her course reflects that. Aesthetic surgery is a constantly changing field, and it is essential to keep developing our MLD to support each patient's surgical journey. Highly recommend this course.
Step Inside the Operating Theatre
Some of our workshops include the opportunity to observe live surgery. Where a surgical collaboration is in place and the clinic's operating list allows, you can watch cosmetic or aesthetic plastic surgery in a safe, professional, and respectful learning environment.
Depending on the list, you may observe procedures such as abdominoplasty, facelift, breast surgery, brachioplasty, thigh lift, or liposuction, with guided commentary from the surgeon and Petra.
For those workshops without a collaborating surgeon, you can still watch a recording of a live surgery from one of our previous workshops. So, you still get to see the procedure, listen to the surgeon explain why he's doing what he's doing, and why. And hear the answers to the questions our students asked throughout.Â
This helps you connect surgical technique with postoperative presentation, so your treatment decisions are informed by a clearer understanding of what the tissues have undergone.
For many therapists, this becomes one of the most valuable parts of the workshop.
See the workshop in action
Step inside the teaching room and hear from therapists who have completed the training.
You'll see how the pre-course online theory, surgical observation, supervised practical work, and small-group teaching come together, so therapists return to practice with clearer structure, safer treatment planning, and a stronger sense of professional clarity.
Choose the level of support that fits your next step
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All options include the full 5-day workshop, pre-course online theory, training materials, and certificate of completion, subject to assessment requirements.
If you would like additional post-workshop support, you can choose a tier that includes graduate community access, learning resources, or 1:1 mentoring.
✔️Secure your place before Sunday 9th August and receive a full, clinical MLD demonstration video on a patient who lost 46kg. She had a 360 body lift with 360 liposuction and a breast reduction, uplift and augmentation with implants.Â
✔️Plus, anyone who registers by 20th August also receives an additional class FOC:
Abdominoplasty Aftercare: From Assessment to Treatment (value $400)
A self-study online course covering four modules: what happens in the tissues after surgery, layered clinical assessment and early decision-making, building the treatment approach itself, and the wider decongestive toolkit. It takes you through positioning, hand pressure and pace, altered lymph drainage pathways, care around the healing incision, and how treatment changes week by week.
ESSENTIAL
$3199
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For therapists who are happy to continue independently afterwards.
- 5-day workshop
- Pre-course online theory
- Training materials and certificate
PROFESSIONAL
$3599
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For therapists who want added resources and community support.
- Everything in Essential
- Additional learning resources
- 2 months of graduate community access
MENTORSHIP
$3999
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For therapists who prefer the most support after they finish.
- Everything in Professional
- Extended graduate community access
- 4 Ă— 30-minute 1:1 mentoring sessions
Workshop dates and practical details
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Choose the location that best suits your schedule and travel plans.Â
Locations and Dates:Â
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- Â USA:
- Murrieta, California: 21 - 25 September 2026
- Fox River Grove, Algonquin, Illinois: 5 - 9 October 2026
- Deerfield Beach, Florida: 19 - 23 October 2026Â
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- Â USA:
Accommodation: Nearby hotels/guesthouses available (Do NOT book non-refundable accommodation until each workshop has been confirmed)
Meals:Â Lunch and snacks includedÂ
Dress code: Professional but comfortable (scrubs recommended)
If you are travelling and need guidance on which location may be most suitable, please book a call before making travel plans.Â
F.A.Q.
Are there prerequisites for this training?
What time does class start and finish?
How many will be attending?
What should I wear?
Do you offer refunds?
Is this training accredited?
Will I receive a certificate on completion of the training?
When should I book travel and accommodation?
These replays are for education only and do not replace formal in-person training, supervision, or competency assessment.
Always work within your scope of practice, insurance requirements, and local regulations. Where there are concerns about a patient’s recovery, refer back to the surgeon or medical team.
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Ready to explore the 5-day workshop?
If the webinar helped you see the difference between introductory post-op information and advanced postoperative training, the next step is to explore whether this workshop is right for you.