1. Discomfort – Most patients complain of discomfort for 1 week after surgery, however the range of time that patients experience discomfort varies. Some describe very little pain, some more. If we recommend placement of an implant beneath the chest muscle, your discomfort may last longer—10-14 days in some patients. This discomfort is usually well managed with oral pain medications, numbing medicine administered during surgery, and occasionally medications to relax the chest muscles.
2. Swelling – Anytime we perform surgery, the body’s normal response is to swell and the breasts are no exception. This will make the breasts look larger and more firm than they will look at the final result after swelling has resolved. It may take a month or more for the swelling to completely resolve.
3. Minimal Scarring – We always attempt to minimize the size and appearance of scars. The beauty of having your surgery done by a trained plastic surgeon is that we specialize in scars! Additionally, every patient that has surgery at Sanctuary Plastic Surgery is placed on a post-surgery scar program. This typically includes scar massage, avoidance of sun exposure, and laser scar treatment.
4. Temporary Limitations – In the early post-operative period, you will be asked to limit any heavy physical activity such as running, weight lifting, etc. These activities may cause problems with healing and can also create more discomfort. The time frame for this depends on the surgery performed but is typically several weeks. You will be instructed on how to gradually introduce these physical activities back into your normal routine. We also require that patients refrain from driving while on pain medication (safety first!). You will be placed into a special supportive surgical bra and will be instructed to wear a bra with no underwire for a period of time.
5. Massage Duties – We want to make sure that your new breasts continue to look great! One way we do this is by placing you on an implant massage protocol in the post-operative period, typically starting at one to two weeks after surgery. This encourages the implant to stay soft and to keep the implant pocket (scar sac that forms normally around implants) healthy and open. We may also have you lay on your stomach and chest to put some pressure on the implant and their pocket for the same reason. Some patients may also be sent for special massage with ultrasound in our spa if needed.
