Breast augmentation is a very popular procedure at our practice and patients are always curious as to how to get the best results with the quickest recovery.
For the vast majority of our patients at Quintessa, breast augmentation is performed for three reasons:
- To help enhance the size of a woman’s breast.
- Restore the volume of her breasts after having children or losing weight.
- To feel feminine and confident.
A quick recovery with excellent results can be achieved by following our recommended postoperative instructions carefully.
1. USE ICE TO REDUCE SWELLING
Icing the breasts after augmentation as much as possible in the first 2-3 days will help avoid swelling, pulling, and pain around the incision area. Be careful not to ice directly on the nipple, however, as this is a more sensitive area. Bags of frozen peas or corn works great as an ice pack since it can mold to your breast shape.
2. MANAGE PAIN WITH SCHEDULED PAIN MEDICINE
Following breast augmentation, we often recommend patients take scheduled ibuprofen and Tylenol for a quicker recovery. In most cases, that’s enough to control the pain, making narcotic pain medicine unnecessary. Narcotic medications often make patients feel groggy, sick to their stomach, or cause constipation so we typically try to avoid them if we can.
3. GET PLENTY OF REST AND TAKE IT EASY
This might seem obvious, but we can’t stress enough the importance of proper rest following your breast augmentation. Take a week off of work. For a quick and healthy recovery, don’t plan big outings for the first couple of days after your surgery. You should rest and relax. By taking it easy for a few days and not causing extra swelling you can speed up the entire recovery process. Most of our patients only take a couple of days off work and then are able to return to normal activities.
If your implants are placed under the pectoralis major muscle, then you should avoid any activities that use the muscle. If you are reaching up high or lifting heavy objects the muscles may push on the implants and cause them to move down and out.
4. PLAN AHEAD & ARRANGE FOR A CAREGIVER TO HELP
In the first 2 to 3 days following breast augmentation surgery you will be sore, tired, and possibly groggy. It is likely that ordinary tasks will be difficult for a few days. For these reasons you should make sure that you have a caregiver to help with things like meal preparation, household chores, etc.
If you have children be sure to arrange for a nanny or close relative to care for the kids for 2 to 3 days since you will need to focus on recovery.
5. Wear your surgical bra
Postoperative surgical bras are almost always recommended following a breast augmentation procedure. This will help support your breasts while they are healing and reduce swelling, leading to a faster recovery with minimal pain.
6. DEVELOP HEALTHY HABITS
Take care of yourself. Before surgery, it’s a good idea to exercise and get your body into good shape. Additionally, if you are a smoker, you should plan on quitting to speed up your recovery. Smoking causes blood vessels to constrict, reducing blood flow. This slows healing and increases the likelihood of infection.
Furthermore, it’s important to stay hydrated and try to eat healthy, nutritional, foods to aid in recovery. Your body needs this to repair tissue.
7. Avoid applying unauthorized lotions or creams
For best results, do not put anything on your incisions unless your surgeon instructs you to do so.
At Quintessa, we have our breast augmentation patients leave dermabond (surgical glue) on their incisions for roughly three weeks. When the glue is removed, we give them a special silicone gel to apply to the incisions to make the scar as faint as possible. If you try to apply your own lotions or creams to the incision it may cause irritation or rash and delay healing, resulting in worse scars long term.
If you start to experience swelling, you should rest, ice, and keep your breasts elevated. Using two or three pillows the first couple of nights after surgery can help relieve swelling on the upper breast.
Other TYPES OF BREAST AUGMENTATION to CONSIDER
With Quintessa Aesthetic Center, you will be on the road to recovery in no time. Gentle, careful, meticulous surgery is what we specialize in and will help speed up your breast augmentation recovery. Contact us today for a consultation or visit us in person at one of our southeastern Wisconsin locations in Delafield, Madison, Mequon, Middleton, and Sheboygan and we will help you achieve your breast augmentation goals with the best possible recovery.
