For the first 4 to 7 days, you should stay home from work and continue resting as much as possible. Avoid strenuous activity of any kind. By the end of the first week, you should notice your energy coming back to you and your pain and soreness lessening quite a bit.
Patients should start light walking immediately after surgery – nothing strenuous, just short walks around the room or home every other hour. This is good for the circulation and helps prevent blood clots. After two weeks, patients can start more intense cardio such as walking on a treadmill or walking uphill.
5 to 7 days post-op
At this stage, you may be able to return to normal activities, if directed by your surgeon. However, you should refrain from strenuous activities such as lifting your arms above your head, which can result in irritation and bleeding.
There should be no housework at all for the first two days. Avoid overheating and excitement of any kind during this period of time to eliminate the possibility of accidental injury or bruising. A shower can be taken after the first full day.
Most patients can resume driving after one week because they no longer require taking their pain medication. If you feel the need to use prescription drugs to reduce discomfort, don't drive until you can stop.
After surgery, the implants tend to ride hide and appear small due to the patient's skin tightness in the area. There is tightness because the implants increase dimension to breast tissue causing the skin to compress the implant's shape and size.
Be sure to shower, not bathe for the first two weeks following your procedure. You should also take care to blot dry your breasts and the incision area with a clean towel after they get wet.
This capsule, made of primarily of collagen, can contain some scar tissue which, over time, may harden and squeeze the implant. This condition, known as capsular contracture, can produce discomfort and can alter the appearance of your breasts.
Wait at Least a Week to Fly
A general guideline for flying would be about a week after your surgery, following the first post-operative exam. Regardless of whether you want to travel or not, the week after surgery is the period when most complications occur.
When is pain at its worst? Most patients report pain in the first 24 – 48 hours after breast augmentation.
In most cases, breast implants will drop and fluff – whether gradually or more dramatically – over the course of three to six months after your procedure.
Some of my Montreal breast augmentation patients complain about stomach bloating after surgery. However, it is important to remember that it is generally not harmful. Maximum swelling usually occurs 3-5 days after your surgery and it will generally go away completely in two weeks and even as early as 5 to 7 days.
Patients should avoid push-ups, pull-ups, dips, certain yoga poses and Pilates moves that rely on balancing body weight with the arms, swinging a golf club or tennis racquet, and using certain exercise equipment such as an elliptical trainer with arm attachments.
Too much use of the muscles might result in the shifting of the implant. This will cause an asymmetrical and unnatural shape of the breast as the implant moves outward or downward. It may also contribute to increased swelling, bruising, and soreness. Undesired scar formation can also develop.
Implant rupture can be caused by abrupt or intense physical pressure (like in a car accident) or through the aging and weakening of the implant shell. A rupture in a saline implant causes a nearly immediate deflation of the affected breast, making it easy to diagnose.
The reality is, it still happened regardless of what you do, and massaging the breast too much can make the pocket so large that the implants fall into the arm pit. Furthermore, excess massaging may increase the risk of capsular contracture by causing micro tears in the soft capsule.
How to wash hair after breast augmentation? Washing hair is possible on the 3rd day after the surgery. Patients can wash hair as usual, yet, any fast arm movements are not recommended.
Instead of a full shower, patients should opt for a sponge bath for at least the first two days post-surgery. Using a wash cloth and some mild soap, carefully sponge yourself clean with tepid water.
Returning to normal activities
In the first 1 to 2 weeks, you can use your arm normally up to shoulder height for light activities, such as face washing, hair brushing and eating. But avoid lifting your arm above the height of your shoulder. Don't lift anything heavy, but you can use your arm to lift a cup of tea.
On the basis of this study, patients should be advised that 130 to 150 cc equates to a one-cup-size increase. Bras with narrower band widths need 130 cc and wider band widths require 150 cc to increase one cup size.
If you're worried about your breast implants not dropping after 6 months, don't panic. There are various factors playing into this process as mentioned above, such as the tightness of your pectoral muscles and the size and material of your implant. Your implants will continue to shift after the 6-month mark.
The ideal fit for a post-surgery bra should be snug but not tight. The best indicator that your bra fits correctly is that it's comfortable, and although you might feel some pressure, this isn't excessive or painful. Signs that your bra is too tight include: the straps or edges leaving marks on your skin.
A sports bra will keep the breasts in place while exercising, but it can be too restrictive when dealing with post-surgery recovery. The breasts can swell a little and a sports bra won't leave any room for this.