Lymphatic drainage consent form: surgeon clearance, light pressure and post-op aftercare
Lymphatic drainage often brings in a different client: someone after surgery, with a compression garment and a surgeon's instructions. The touch is the lightest you will use, yet the health questions are some of the most serious on any massage form. A lymphatic drainage consent form handles both.
This exact form is built into SlickChart: send it to your client's phone to sign before their session, and the lymphatic aftercare goes home with them.
Explain why the touch is so light
My "about this service" box describes very light, rhythmic strokes that gently stretch the skin to guide lymph toward the nodes. A session runs about 45 to 60 minutes, mostly on the back, draped, and the touch is gentle and very relaxing.
It is honest about results: effects vary, and after surgery, sessions are often booked as a series on the surgeon's timeline. Later, an acknowledgement makes the pressure point directly:
I understand the pressure is very light on purpose. Deeper pressure doesn't work better here.
Clients used to deep work need to hear that up front.
Today's session and the surgery details
Your client checks today's session: wellness drainage, post-surgical, face and neck, or full body. For post-surgical work the form asks for the procedure, the surgery date, and whether surgeon clearance is on file. Those lines record what you knew and when.
The possible effects and risks
- Needing to urinate more often for a few hours
- Mild tenderness over healing or swollen areas
- Skin irritation from oil, lotion or garments
- Feeling tired, thirsty or lightheaded afterward
- Swelling that changes from day to day
- Fluid shifts that can strain the heart or kidneys
The box closes by saying massage therapists do not diagnose or treat conditions, and this work supports, never replaces, medical care.
A health check that takes the heart and kidneys seriously
Fifteen items: fever or infection in the last 24 hours, congestive heart failure, lymphedema, high or low blood pressure, unexplained swelling, cellulitis, kidney failure or disease, an aneurysm, a thyroid condition, blood thinners, a blood clot (DVT) now or past, active cancer or treatment, recent surgery, past radiation treatment, and pregnancy.
A box asks for more about anything checked. A check starts a conversation, never a diagnosis; what a condition means is for their doctor to say. My massage draping consent form post covers the physician clearance form, which includes cosmetic surgery before lymphatic drainage as a reason for clearance.
The acknowledgements
- Your client has shared their full health history, including heart, kidney, clotting and cancer history.
- The pressure is very light on purpose.
- After surgery, their surgeon's written clearance is on file and they will follow their compression advice.
- Incisions, drains and fresh scars are worked around, never pressed on.
- They will speak up right away if they feel dizzy, short of breath, in pain or unwell, so you can stop.
- Results vary, and the session does not diagnose, cure or replace medical care.
Before and after photos for their private record are OK, with social media use only with their separate OK. The signature covers manual lymphatic drainage as checked.
Aftercare where the surgeon comes first
My lymphatic guide is clear about who is in charge after surgery:
- Today: more trips to the bathroom, and feeling relaxed, sleepy or thirsty. Drink water and rest, and wear compression exactly as the surgeon advised. No hot tubs, saunas, heavy exercise or alcohol tonight.
- Days 1 to 3: swelling may ease, then vary day to day. Gentle walks, and keep incisions clean and dry as the surgeon directs. No taking compression off early, and no pressing or rubbing firm areas at home.
- Between visits: changes are gradual, and some days feel puffier than others, especially when warm. Follow the surgeon's plan and keep follow-up visits.
- Next visit: book as planned and tell you about new symptoms, medications or surgeon advice. If swelling suddenly gets worse, call instead of waiting.
One line in the guide says it all: if anything on the page differs from what the surgeon said, follow the surgeon and tell you so you can adjust. The good-to-know list adds that this work moves fluid; it does not "flush toxins." Garments should feel snug, never painful or numbing, and results build over a series.
The call-your-surgeon list covers fever or chills, fluid or pus from an incision, spreading redness or warm, hard swelling, and pain, swelling or warmth in one calf or leg. Shortness of breath or chest pain means calling 911 right away, then letting you know so sessions pause until they are cleared.
Questions to decide for your own practice
- Will you require the surgeon's written clearance before the first post-op session, every time?
- How will you record the procedure, surgery date and garment advice, so each session in the series starts from the last?
- What does your state board require? Whether post-surgical lymphatic work is within your scope varies by state, so check with yours. This post is not legal or medical advice.
New clients fill in an intake first; see my massage intake form post, or browse the full massage therapist forms collection.
Use this form with your clients
SlickChart has this exact lymphatic drainage consent and aftercare built in for subscribers. The form goes to the client's phone to sign before the visit, or they sign on your device at the table, and any contraindication they check is flagged for you. The aftercare lands in the client's own app, styled with your logo, and it all works alongside the Square account you already have. If that would save you paperwork, try SlickChart.
Prefer paper? The printable massage therapist set, with this lymphatic consent, the protocol and the aftercare, is in my Etsy shop, ready to print or edit in free Canva.