Support Clients Before And After Surgery With Our Perioperative Lymphatic Drainage Training

Yes, you can start treatments with patients as soon as you feel confident with the steps. The founders, who co-teach every class, lead the demonstrations, and then you complete each technique yourself under supervision. By the end of the day, you’ll have used each of your new skills with your own hands. If a presentation puzzles you afterward, bring the case and your assessment to the mentorship group.

The foundation course teaches manual lymphatic drainage for the full body, face, and neck, and how to adapt treatments for post-op patients, which sets the base for this day. Both use the LINFA™ Method. The main difference is that this course focuses on surgery and recovery. You’ll study fascia, healing, and scar formation, and learn fascial release for addressing the adhesions that contribute to poor drainage. You’ll also learn a complete protocol for patients having each type of procedure, before and after the operation.

“Perioperative” means the period around surgery, before and after. Our method puts strong emphasis on nervous system regulation and fascia, because the nervous system, fascia, and lymphatic system all play a role in immune function, recovery, and healing. Surgical trauma disrupts the local lymphatic pathways, which can lead to fluid retention, and limited movement during recovery can increase it. Healing varies with the stage of recovery, age, general health, medications, and any other medical condition, so every presentation is different. Manual lymphatic drainage treatments are gentle and non-invasive, and they can help patients by reducing swelling caused by surgery and supporting healing. After cosmetic surgery, patients often book 6 to 10 MLD treatments.

No. Contraindications for manual lymphatic drainage include active infections, active blood clots, and any medical condition that makes lymphatic work unsafe. For some patients, depending on their condition and medications, a physician’s assessment and clearance are required before treatments begin, and the surgeon sets the timeline. After the course, if you’re unsure about your assessment of a particular case, ask in the mentorship group.

In Ontario, manual lymphatic drainage isn’t a regulated modality, so no license is required, and each school sets its own entry requirements. Certification still makes a difference in lymphatic therapy, especially with surgical patients. It shows you understand lymphatic anatomy and pathology, which can increase your credibility with patients and referring practitioners, and some liability insurers ask for proof of training before they cover lymphatic treatments. At Toronto Lymphatic Academy, Level 1 Foundation MLD Training is required before this course. It has no prerequisite and runs most months.

Not directly. Lymphedema is a long-term condition that needs medical assessment and management. It’s often caused by cancer treatment or by surgery that removed or damaged lymph nodes. Certified lymphedema therapists train in complete decongestive therapy, also called complex decongestive therapy, a lymphedema treatment that combines lymphatic drainage techniques with compression, exercise, and skin care. Each program sets its own entry requirements, and many look for licensed or regulated health professionals.

This course is designed for addressing surgical recovery and the short-term swelling caused by surgery, and that’s the difference from lymphedema training. If you go on to it later, what you learn here gives you useful groundwork.

Visit our free 15-Minute Lymphatic Movement Framework, a set of short guided videos with a practitioner guide. Our articles explain the lymphatic system, manual lymphatic drainage (MLD), and the reasoning behind our method, and our email list announces new trainings and articles. For hands-on skills, you need to learn in person.

Our co-founders, Thaís R. Álvs and Cassandra Hope, developed the LINFA™ Method together. You’ll meet both of them, since they’re the co-lead facilitators for every class. Thaís began her lymphatic training in Brazil in 2018 under Renata França. She holds certifications with Joana Medrado in post-operative care and Nany Mota in fibrosis management, and later trained at Dr. Vodder’s International School and the Academy of Lymphatic Studies. Her work with patients includes oncology, fertility, pregnancy, and surgical recovery. Cassandra is a Registered Holistic Nutritionist and Certified Lymphatic Specialist with more than twenty years in practice, focused on gut health, brain health, and post-concussive care. Both keep private practices at Longév Clinic, the Academy’s home, and they co-founded the Academy in 2023 with Dr. Kate McLaird ND and Dr. Nadine Khoury ND.

Lunch is included in the tuition of $1,788 plus HST. You can view Klarna payment plans at checkout, and Klarna sets the eligibility and terms. If you haven’t taken the foundation course yet, a bundle of both courses costs less than buying them separately.

Each college or association determines its own rules for continuing education credits, so check with yours before you register. You’ll get a certificate when you complete the course.

Since Level 1 is required for this course, complete a quick review of your foundation notes, especially how the LINFA™ Method adapts for post-op patients. If you have long nails, please trim them before class, since the work is hands-on.

Hotel Victoria is at 56 Yonge Street, less than a 10-minute walk from Union Station, so you can get there easily by train or GO Transit. The subway is steps away. If you’re driving, there are several paid lots and some street parking nearby. Plan to arrive 15 to 20 minutes early to find a spot.

Yes. Lunch is included, with a one-hour break, and Hotel Victoria provides a healthy meal. It’s a good chance to meet the other practitioners in your class. Let us know about any dietary restrictions when you complete your registration.

Wear comfortable clothes you can move in. The day includes hands-on practice and slow, full-body movement sequences. We’ll email you before class if you need to bring anything.

Many participants travel from across Ontario and Canada for our courses. If you’re one of them, you may be eligible for a special rate at Hotel Victoria, our training venue, instead of the public rate when you book. We’ll email registered students the booking details.