CLINICAL, ULTRASONOGRAPHIC, AND ELECTRONEUROMYOGRAPHIC EVALUATION OF COMPRESSION-RETRACTION KINESIO TAPING EFFICACY FOLLOWING LASER-ASSISTED SUBMENTAL LIPOSUCTION

Background: Laser-assisted submental liposuction forms a substantial wound "dead space" due to fat evacuation and septal ablation. This architectural disruption predisposes patients to exudate accumulation, collateral edema, and gravitational skin flap ptosis. Continuous elastic compression bandages often compromise venous and lymphatic drainage, inducing tissue hypoxia and necessitating biomechanically optimized fixation protocols.

Aim: To evaluate the clinical and instrumental efficacy of an originally developed compression-retraction kinesio taping protocol for preventing complications, controlling edema, and stimulating dermal retraction following submental liposuction.

Methods: A prospective randomized controlled trial included 60 patients (18–60 years) who underwent a two-stage laser-assisted liposuction procedure. The main group (n=30) received the proprietary taping protocol, featuring a 5–7 mm evacuation port directly over the surgical puncture and 10–20% tape tension along physiological lymphatic pathways. The control group (n=30) utilized a standard elastic bandage. Clinical monitoring on days 1, 3, 5, and 7 included segmental linear anthropometry (sagittal, lateral, and cervical vectors), VAS pain assessment, and neck extension amplitude. Instrumental diagnostics involved ultrasound duplex scanning (USDS) of subcutaneous fat and facial vessels, alongside electroneuromyography (ENMG) of the facial nerve.

Results: The lateral anthropometric vector proved most sensitive to therapy. The control group experienced peak edema on the 3rd postoperative day (+1.7±0.2 cm). In the main group, the edema peak shifted to the immediate postoperative hours, drastically limited to 0.6±0.1 cm (p=0.005). By day 7, USDS confirmed a 31.5% reduction in subcutaneous fat thickness in the taping group (12.6±0.8 mm), while pastosity persisted in the control group (18.2±1.0 mm). The main group exhibited enhanced compensatory venous drainage in the facial vein (24.5±1.8 cm/s) and an 80% VAS pain regression by day 7 (p=0.00008). Crucially, ENMG verified the complete absence of compressive ischemic block affecting the facial nerve in the taping cohort (M-response 1.95±0.15 mV).

Conclusion: Compression-retraction kinesio taping with an integrated evacuation port is a highly effective, non-pharmacological alternative to traditional circular bandaging. It significantly mitigates exudative edema, prevents venous stasis, eliminates the risk of compression neuropathies, and accelerates dermal retraction without compromising regional hemodynamics.