NOCTI Guide

Post-Op Massage Shouldn't Include Surgery. Miami Police Say One Did

Police say a Miami provider sold post-surgery massages on Instagram with no license, then reopened a client's incisions. Men get these surgeries too. Here's how to vet anyone near your recovery.

October 31, 2026 · Updated October 30, 2026 at 5:57 PM PDT · 4 min read

Shirtless man in a black cap and grey joggers checking his phone on a sofa in a bright living room, on a NOCTI Heal Smart cover

The recovery menu had one item nobody ordered

Picture it. You're a week out from surgery, swollen, sore and doom-scrolling reels that promise lymphatic massage is the secret to healing "snatched." You find someone on Instagram. You pay. And then, police say, the person you hired starts reopening your incisions. That's not a horror-movie pitch. It's what a Miami woman told investigators, according to WSVN 7News, which reported on Oct. 30 that a 38-year-old woman was arrested and charged with practicing a health care profession without a license and practicing massage therapy without a license. The client said she found the provider through Instagram ads for post-operative massage and "body maintenance," then paid $275 through Cash App for three sessions after cosmetic surgery. She later told police her fingers went numb for long stretches after two of them. And the plot was only getting started.

Then detectives scrolled her Instagram

Investigators who reviewed the account found videos that allegedly showed lymphatic massages, blood being forced from open wounds, surgical drains being removed and medical bandages being applied, WSVN reported. A Florida Department of Health records check confirmed the accused did not hold the required licenses, police said. The client paid for three more sessions. Before the last one, the provider moved out of her business location, and when the client asked for a refund, she reportedly said she would no longer provide services. She declined to talk with investigators without a lawyer present, and a judge found probable cause and set bond at $3,000, according to the station. She has been charged, not convicted. Your incision is not a massage add-on.

Wait, why is this a men's story? Look at the surgery stats

Because men are in the recovery room too. Plastic surgeons who belong to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons performed 98,798 cosmetic surgical procedures on men in 2024, according to the society's statistics report. The top two were male breast reduction, at 26,430, and liposuction, at 21,082, followed by eyelid surgery at 15,351. The society's newer 2025 report says the number of men getting aesthetic procedures "remained stable," that male breast reduction is still the most-performed procedure for men despite a 12 percent decline, and that body contouring procedures grew for men. Translation: plenty of guys are going home with a sore chest, a compression garment and a search bar. And this isn't the first time South Florida has seen this movie. In 2022, the Miami Herald reported that a Broward "facial specialist" was arrested after police said she gave a woman recovering from surgery lymphatic massages, stitch removal and wound care without a medical license. Police said the client then had "an extreme amount of pain from the wound and required medical treatment from a local hospital." Same script, new cast.

“Healing isn't a shortcut. It's a schedule you actually keep.” — NOCTI

NOCTI's take: "Snatched" is not a license

The post-op recovery business has an Instagram problem. The best lighting wins, not the best training. A before-and-after reel is marketing. It is not proof that anyone knows where your lymph nodes are. Men add a second problem: a lot of us keep cosmetic surgery quiet. That makes the DM-only, Cash-App-only, no-questions-asked provider feel weirdly convenient. Privacy is great. Hiding your recovery plan from your own surgeon is not. If someone wants to touch your drains, they'd better have a license that says they're allowed to.

Five checks before anyone touches your recovery

Here's the good news: avoiding this mess takes about five minutes and zero awkwardness. 1. Start with your surgeon, not your feed. Ask whether you need post-op massage at all, when it's safe to start, and who they trust. Bring that name to your search. 2. Verify the license yourself. Ask for the state license or certification number and look it up with the state board. Police in this case used Florida Department of Health records. In California, the California Massage Therapy Council offers an online "Verify Certification" lookup for consumers. 3. Know the line. Massage is hands-on soft-tissue work. Opening wounds, pulling drains and changing surgical dressings are medical tasks, which is exactly why this case includes a charge of practicing a health care profession without a license. 4. Watch the payment red flags. A real business has a real address, a name you can look up and a receipt. Cash-app-only, location-changes-weekly and "DM for pricing" are not a business model you want near stitches. 5. If something feels off, stop and call your surgeon. Numbness that lingers, new pain, fever, or an incision that looks open or angry is a medical question, not a massage question. For an emergency, call 911.

Heal like you mean it

Surgeon's plan first, licensed hands second, Instagram reels dead last. When you're cleared for massage and recovery work, find independent professionals and men-welcoming businesses at joinnocti.com/discover, check their credentials, and contact them directly. This article is for general information and isn't medical advice.

SourcesWSVN 7News, American Society of Plastic Surgeons +3 more

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