Taula de Continguts
- What happens in the tissues after surgery or liposuction
- What INDIBA is and what the manufacturer says about recovery after surgery
- What the published evidence says, and what it does not
- When to start: your surgeon decides
- Red flags: when to call your surgeon, not the clinic
- What INDIBA can offer, and what it cannot
- How we work at Santé Madrid
- Frequently asked questions
INDIBA is a radiofrequency that the manufacturer proposes as a complement during recovery from surgery or liposuction, but whether it is used, and when, is always decided by the surgeon who operated on you. Its aim would be to support how inflammation, oedema and fibrosis evolve, never to replace the check-ups or instructions of the surgical team. First, an important clarification: at Santé Madrid we do not perform surgery or liposuction and we do not provide post-operative care or follow-up. This article is purely informative: it explains what happens in the tissues after an operation, what the published evidence says about INDIBA radiofrequency after surgery and which signs mean calling your surgeon instead of booking at an aesthetic clinic.
Key points
- Santé Madrid does not perform surgery or liposuction and does not provide post-operative care: this article is informative and decisions about your recovery belong to your surgeon.
- After surgery or liposuction it is common to have swelling, pain and, in some cases, hardened areas caused by fibrosis.
- The manufacturer attributes effects on inflammation, oedema and fibrosis to INDIBA, but independent post-operative studies are still few and small.
- The time to start any complementary treatment is not set by an aesthetic clinic: your surgeon decides it.
- Fever, increasing pain, an area that fills with fluid or redness with warmth are reasons to contact your surgeon, not to book a session.
What happens in the tissues after surgery or liposuction
Any cosmetic operation causes a controlled injury to the tissues, and the body responds with a repair process that goes through several phases. The first is inflammation: more blood reaches the area, fluid builds up between the cells and you notice swelling, tenderness and sometimes bruising. That accumulated fluid is oedema, and it is usually the most visible part of the first few weeks.
In procedures such as liposuction or abdominoplasty, part of the lymphatic system, which drains that excess fluid, is also disrupted. A 2026 systematic review on manual lymphatic drainage after cosmetic surgery notes that this disruption can lead to swelling, pain, fibrosis and seromas, which are collections of fluid under the skin.
Fibrosis is the part of internal healing that worries many patients most. When tissue repairs itself, new collagen forms; if that collagen is laid down irregularly or in excess, areas that feel harder to the touch, small cords or a less even surface appear. Not everyone develops it, and its intensity depends on the procedure, the area and each person's body. Understanding these three layers, inflammation, oedema and fibrosis, helps you see what a complementary treatment can and cannot offer.
What INDIBA is and what the manufacturer says about recovery after surgery
INDIBA is a radiofrequency that, according to the manufacturer, works at a specific frequency of 448 kHz. It belongs to the family of techniques known as capacitive-resistive electric transfer (CRET, also called TECAR). A review of its use in physiotherapy describes it as oscillating energy that generates therapeutic heat in the tissues and is applied with a capacitive electrode and a resistive electrode; 448 kHz was the frequency most used in the studies reviewed.
The same review summarises the effects it considers proven: increased skin temperature, skin and muscle perfusion and oxyhaemoglobin levels. Put simply, according to that review the area can warm up in depth and receive more blood flow during the session.
On its pre- and post-surgery page, INDIBA states that its technology stimulates tissue repair, speeds up recovery, reduces pain and reduces inflammation, fibrosis and oedema, and lists liposuction, abdominoplasty and breast implants among its applications. It is worth reading this for what it is: a manufacturer's description of its own equipment. It is a useful starting point for understanding what the device is designed for, but it is not the same as an independent clinical trial. That is why, in the next section, we separate what has been measured from what is still assumed. The applications it lists are the manufacturer's, not services offered at Santé Madrid.
What the published evidence says, and what it does not
If you look for studies on INDIBA after surgery, you will find less than its popularity might suggest. Most research on this radiofrequency comes from physiotherapy and rehabilitation, and the review cited above warns that the methodological quality of the studies varies. The table summarises the work we reviewed for this article.
| Study | Type | What it observed | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| INDIBA after breast implants | Clinical trial in women after surgery | Less pain in the first days when, under the study protocol, INDIBA sessions in the first week were added to a medicine injected before the operation | Single centre; measures pain, not oedema or fibrosis |
| 448 kHz radiofrequency and fibrosis | Laboratory, human cells | Lower expression of fibrosis-related proteins compared with controls | In vitro study: the authors call for trials in people |
| Review of CRET in physiotherapy | Review of clinical studies | Higher tissue temperature and perfusion; possible benefits for pain | Little post-operative data; variable quality |
| Lymphatic drainage after cosmetic surgery | Systematic review | Moderate benefit on swelling | Inconsistent effect on pain and fibrosis; does not study INDIBA |
The trial after breast implants is, of those we found, the most direct: it applied INDIBA during the first week after the operation and observed less pain in the first days in the group that combined it with the other treatment. That session schedule was the study protocol, not a recommended regimen. The fibrosis study, carried out in vitro on human cells, is promising, but its own authors point out that, being in vitro, it cannot be extrapolated directly to patients. The honest conclusion is that INDIBA has a reasonable basis to be considered as a complement, but there is no solid proof that it shortens recovery or prevents fibrosis after liposuction.
When to start: your surgeon decides
This is the most frequently asked question, and it has no single answer. Every operation, every technique and every recovery is different: a small liposuction does not heal like an abdominoplasty, and a person who heals without incident does not recover like someone with a haematoma. That is why no article and no aesthetic clinic should give you a number of days. When to start, which area could be treated and what to avoid is decided by your surgeon, who knows your procedure.
As a reference for how post-operative care is being researched, the review on lymphatic drainage describes some studies starting drainage early, but there is no single schedule, and that finding refers to manual drainage, not INDIBA. It should not be taken as a schedule for radiofrequency.
There are other reasons your surgeon may ask you to wait: wounds that are still open, stitches or drains, a compression garment that must not be removed, areas with reduced sensation where heat is felt less well, or a pending check-up. Once you have their approval, it helps to have their instructions to hand: the type of procedure, the date and any special recommendations. That way assumptions are avoided and everyone works with the same information.
Red flags: when to call your surgeon, not the clinic
A radiofrequency session is not the answer to a post-operative complication. According to a systematic review of current liposuction techniques, complications are uncommon, but haematomas, seromas, infections or contour irregularities can occur and, rarely, serious problems such as thromboembolism. None of these situations is treated at an aesthetic clinic: they require the person who operated on you.
The last point deserves an explanation. A case report published in 2026 described inappropriate shocks from an implantable defibrillator during a capacitive-resistive transfer session, and its authors note that manufacturers list diathermy as contraindicated in people with implanted cardiac devices. That is why any medical assessment should cover your medical history, your medication, a possible pregnancy and any implanted devices before suggesting anything.
What INDIBA can offer, and what it cannot
During an INDIBA session you mainly feel warmth, which is adjusted to your tolerance and the area. After surgery, it is your surgeon who indicates which areas to avoid, such as wounds or recent scars, and whether radiofrequency is suitable in your case. On the body INDIBA radiofrequency page we explain this body treatment in general, as it appears in our catalogue; it is not a post-operative service.
It is important to set expectations. The manufacturer attributes to INDIBA a role in how swelling and hardened areas evolve, but independent evidence is limited and results vary from person to person and from one operation to another. It does not correct excess skin, fill a dent or remove a contour irregularity that needs a surgical revision: those decisions remain your surgeon's.
Nor does it replace what they have prescribed, such as the compression garment, medication, walks or check-ups. If you want to read more about care after body treatments, there is this article on recovery and body contouring. And if you are coming to Madrid from another city or from abroad after your operation, bear in mind that your surgeon should remain your point of reference throughout recovery.
How we work at Santé Madrid
Our clinic is at C. de Amador de los Ríos, 1, Chamberí, 28010 Madrid. We are a non-surgical aesthetic medicine clinic, so it is worth being clear about what we do and what we do not:
- We do not perform surgery. We do not perform surgery or liposuction and we do not provide post-operative care or follow-up. If you are recovering from an operation, questions about your recovery, including radiofrequency, are answered by your surgeon.
- What we do offer. Our catalogue includes facial and body INDIBA radiofrequency as a general aesthetic treatment, always after an assessment by the Santé Madrid medical team.
- Consultations. You can start with an aesthetic consultation with a Beauty Coach, which is free, or with a medical consultation for €50 (the price of the consultation, not the treatment).
- Prior assessment. Every treatment is carried out after an assessment by the medical team. If something comes up in that assessment that belongs with your surgeon, the right step is to check with them.
- Expectations. Results vary from person to person and we do not promise a specific result.
In short: recovery from surgery is the responsibility of the person who operated on you, and any later aesthetic treatment depends on their judgement. This article aims to help you ask them the right questions.
Frequently asked questions
Do you perform liposuction or surgery at Santé Madrid?
No. Santé is a non-surgical aesthetic medicine clinic and does not provide post-operative care. If you have had an operation, decisions about your recovery belong to your surgeon.
How many days after the operation can I start INDIBA?
There is no fixed number. It depends on the procedure, how you are recovering and what your surgeon advises, as they are the one who should decide.
Does INDIBA eliminate fibrosis?
That cannot be claimed. The manufacturer attributes effects on fibrosis to it and there are promising laboratory studies, but trials in post-operative patients are lacking. Results vary from person to person.
Does an INDIBA session hurt after surgery?
Most people feel warmth. The intensity is adjusted to your tolerance, and wounds, recent scars and any areas your surgeon has flagged are avoided.
Can I stop wearing my compression garment if I have INDIBA?
No. INDIBA does not replace the compression garment or any other instruction from your surgeon. Keep following their advice unless they tell you otherwise.
What should I ask my surgeon about INDIBA?
Whether it is suitable in your case, from when, which areas to avoid and whether it is compatible with the compression garment and the rest of their instructions. Also tell them if you have implants, such as a pacemaker or a defibrillator.
What should I do if I have a fever or a swollen area filled with fluid?
Contact your surgeon before any session. It may be a complication, such as a seroma, a haematoma or an infection, which should be assessed by the person who operated on you.
INDIBA can be a reasonable complement during recovery from surgery, provided your surgeon decides on it and with realistic expectations. If you have questions about your recovery, the first step is to talk to the person who operated on you.
