Breast Enhancement Surgery: The Recovery Period

Your surgical experience should be as painless as possible. If a patient truthfully discloses all medical conditions beforehand and follows all of the procedures after the surgery, this will also ensure that there will be minimum complications. However, the procedure is not permanent and years later the effects of aging may impact the look of your breast implants.

The goal of your plastic surgeon and the entire staff is to make your surgical experience as pain free as possible. The doctors also want to minimize complications. Your plastic surgeon may recommend a mammogram before surgery and another mammogram examination after the surgery to ensure that there is no long term damage or changes in the breast tissue.

The doctor will ask you about your medical history. If you are a smoker, you should stop smoking before the surgery. You should avoid taking over the counter medication such as aspirin, ibuprofen and other drugs. These drugs can cause increased bleeding. Your surgeon will provide you with additional instructions that you should follow before the surgery. Breast augmentation is usually performed in an outpatient facility.

At the conclusion of your breast augmentation procedure, the doctor may place surgical dressing on you. You may have to wear a support bra. Prior to your discharge, you will be given detailed instructions about your post-surgical care. Many choose to recover at hospital. They will tell you about drainage of blood, the normal symptoms you may experience, and signs of complication.

When discharged, you may want to go to an outpatient facility which will allow you to recover under a licensed professional. While some wish to recover at a hotel with licensed professions, while others opt to go home and recover. Regardless of the place you choose for recovery, anyone who has just had surgery should be released to the care of a relative or responsible adult.

The first few nights after surgery are critical and therefore all patients should be watched by someone who understands recovery instructions, monitors your health and can stay with you at all times a few days after surgery. Follow all patient care instructions as directed.

During the days after the surgery, you should walk around and continue to stay active to decrease the risk of blood clot formations. The first few days you may feel stiff and find swelling or soreness around your breast. Your breasts may feel sensitive and your skin may feel tender or irritated. In addition, it may be difficult to raise your arms. Even though you should remain active, you should not push or pull anything. Some discoloration and swelling will occur initially, but this will disappear quickly. Any dressings and stitches will be removed by the doctor within several days.

Most patients must wait between three and seven days following surgery to take a shower. After breast augmentation, many return to their daily lives and return to work within a week, while others may need several weeks of recovery. Strenuous physical activity should be avoided for the first month after surgery. You should be very careful and gentle with your breasts for at least a few months after the surgery.