Tips and Timeline for Recovering After Breast Augmentation Surgery
Breast augmentation surgery is the world’s second most common cosmetic operation, only after liposuction. The most common concern, like with any surgery, is how long the recovery will take.
Every woman heals at a different pace after breast augmentation, but the procedure and aftercare advice is the same. In order to get the most out of this procedure, you must listen to your doctor and do as instructed. Taking care of yourself throughout recuperation is essential if you want your breast implants to appear their best.
Read on to find out how to achieve the best potential outcomes from your breast augmentation surgery and the various phases of recovery.
How Long Does the Healing Period Last?
Recovery following breast augmentation typically takes between six and eight weeks. Depending on factors including age, body type, health background, and lifestyle, some women may feel back to normal during the first week of recovery while others may take longer.
Your surgeon will offer you more specific information about how long your recovery will take, based on your specific case. Here’s what to expect during the post-surgery recovery period.
Right After the Operation
You will still be groggy from the anesthesia for a while after getting breast implants. You’ll come under medical monitoring as you slowly regain consciousness in the recovery room after surgery. There’s a chance you’ll have aches, dizziness, and muscular tightness.
Muscle tightness will ease as you stretch, but if any discomfort persists, do let your recovery nurse know. Your doctor will prescribe drugs to calm your muscles, decrease tension, minimize inflammation, and numb the surgery site for 2-3 days using local anesthetic.
A Few Hours After the Surgery
You may need to stay in the recovery room for a few hours before being discharged. You need someone to drive you home after your surgery since you’ll still feel off. Your medical team can only release you to a caretaker who will drive you home and remain with you for the day.
The doctor will put an elastic band or bra over your chest to support your breasts. In addition, your surgeon will give you post-op instructions before you leave.
The First and Second Postoperative Days
You should take it easy and relax for the first two days following surgery. Keep from lifting heavy objects and rest, so that your strength can return. Meanwhile, doing some exercise, such as walking around the home every few hours, is beneficial.
Throughout the First 3–5 Days After Surgery
It is normal to feel some pain and stiffness around the incision during the first few days after surgery. Expect some little discomfort at this time, and take the painkillers your surgeon gives you. Although it’s normal to have a little bleeding at the incision site, you should contact your doctor immediately if you’re worried.
One Week of Recovery
You’ll start to feel better and the discomfort will lessen in about five days. After one week, you may transition to over-the-counter pain medicine. Some patients feel good enough by the end of the first week so they may request modest exercise from their surgeon.
After One Month of Recovery
By the third week after surgery, most patients have recovered enough to resume 50% of their pre-op activities. You may still experience stiffness and swelling in the second, third, and fourth weeks after surgery, but the hard part is gone.
Don’t force yourself to do anything too physically demanding, particularly if it involves lifting large things. Take as much as three weeks off if your work requires intense physical exertion.
The Second Month of Recovery
Around six to eight weeks following surgery, you should be feeling almost back to normal. By this time, the implants will have found their permanent home beneath the breast and muscle tissues, and a new capsule will have begun to develop around the implants.
If two months have passed and you still feel like not everything is back to normal, make sure to call your doctor and explain how you feel. The time it takes for your body to recover is something only your surgeon can tell you.
Finishing Up
In most cases, patients can go back to work within two or three weeks after surgery. Beginning in week three, they will gradually resume up to fifty percent of their usual activities. This includes doing lighter activities again, although heavy exertion is still risky. Avoid any activities that put stress on your upper body, such as jogging, trekking, or lifting weights.
Your doctor will give you the all-clear to resume most of your regular activities by the sixth to eighth week of recuperation, except for strenuous activity. According to how well your body recovers by the second month after surgery, your doctor will give you the green light to begin intense physical exercise.