Dreams of beautiful, firm, fairly large breasts come true, and they are brought to life not by a kind wizard, but by a plastic surgeon. Today, operations to change the shape and size of the breast are considered ordinary, but, nevertheless, remain a full-fledged surgical intervention, with its own rules and principles.
One of the rules is competent rehabilitation after mammoplasty, which has several periods. And each period has its own characteristics; in each period the patient must follow all the doctor’s recommendations. Only under such conditions can the success of the operation and the absence of complications from the skin and mammary gland be guaranteed.
All stages of rehabilitation
As mentioned above, the postoperative period after breast surgery consists of several stages. At each of them, a woman must strictly follow the doctor’s recommendations and pay attention to the slightest changes in well-being. One of the main conditions for recovery is wearing compression garments - they must be worn constantly, starting from the first day after surgery. By using such underwear, the breasts take the desired shape and complications are prevented.
How is rehabilitation after mammoplasty carried out by day:
- The woman spends the first day after the operation in the intensive care unit under the supervision of doctors.
- On the second day the patient is discharged, and for the first two to three days rest and absence of any physical activity are indicated.
- On days 4–5, you can gradually return to your previous lifestyle, avoiding stress on your arms and pectoral muscles. This rule must be followed for at least 6 weeks after surgery.
- On days 3, 7 and 10, you must visit the clinic for dressing.
- On days 7–10, the sutures are removed.
- For the first two weeks, it is forbidden to have sex or sleep on your side.
- For the entire rehabilitation period, sleeping on your stomach is prohibited.
On average, the rehabilitation period after mammoplasty lasts about two months, but exactly how long depends on the type of operation. Thus, after mastopexy, recovery is faster; recovery after installation of implants lasts the longest.
Mammoplasty – rehabilitation period
Several days after mammoplasty, women feel chest pain and general malaise. Painful sensations are associated with the fact that the tissue is stretched by the implant, muscle damage, and swelling, which will subside in a few months.
If you have breast augmentation surgery, recovery may be more difficult. The larger the implant, the more unusual it is for the body, and the stronger the pain may be, although this still depends on the individual tolerance of the body. To make pain easier to bear, drugs such as Ketanov, Ibuprofen, Meloxican, Diclofenac and others are prescribed.
For some time after plastic surgery, the temperature may rise because the body accepts the foreign body. But if it is too high and does not subside, it is better to consult a doctor in order to rule out inflammatory processes.
Let's look at how mammoplasty step-by-step rehabilitation works.
Breast augmentation surgery and rehabilitation in the first few days
- For the first few days, the doctor prescribes painkillers.
- Rehabilitation after breast augmentation is best achieved if during these days you remain in a semi-sitting position and sleep in the same position.
- A good solution is to keep a mammoplasty rehabilitation diary to record your well-being.
Mammoplasty – rehabilitation in the first week – ten days
- During the first four days, temperature fluctuations are possible, but if it is too high, you should consult a surgeon.
- While the wounds are healing, you should not raise your arms to avoid the sutures coming apart. Do not lift things heavier than 3 kg or make sudden movements.
- On the fourth day you can take a shower, but do not wet the stitches.
How is the first month going?
- The sutures are removed on days 7-10, if self-absorbing threads were not used and rehabilitation after breast surgery and recovery of the body proceeds without problems.
- You can return to work in the first week if the activity is not related to physical activity.
- After about a month you can have sex.
- At this stage of rehabilitation, you constantly wear underwear to support your breast shape as recommended by your doctor.
- At the end of the month you will feel more comfortable.
When breast lift mammoplasty is performed, recovery may take a different time than after reduction mammoplasty or other types of surgery, depending on the body. At this time, the breasts will not be the same shape and size as you expected, because the swelling will go away completely only after a few months.
Two to three months after the intervention
- Rehabilitation after breast surgery is accelerated - you return to your usual rhythm of life, but without intense stress.
- Sports activities can be resumed if the surgeon agrees.
Six months to a year after mammoplasty
- How long will it take to recover from breast augmentation or another type of mammoplasty? Regardless of whether breast augmentation or reduction was done, rehabilitation will take about a year. Once the post-operative recovery period is over, you will begin to perceive your breasts as your own part of the body.
How is rehabilitation going?
Recovery after breast surgery is a fairly long process, and in the initial stages it is not the most pleasant. The most difficult are the first two weeks, especially if breast augmentation was performed with implants. The fact is that for the body they are foreign bodies, and it is quite natural that the body reacts to them in the same way as to any foreign body. That is, local inflammation occurs that is not associated with the development of infection. Therefore, during the first two weeks you should expect a slight increase in temperature and general malaise. The breasts will hurt, become hard - and begin to soften after about 3 months.
In all cases, the first weeks after the intervention you need to take medications prescribed by your doctor. These are anti-inflammatory drugs, antibiotics - they are prescribed to relieve pain, relieve inflammation and prevent the development of infection.
Recovery after mammoplasty is always associated with the development of breast swelling and the appearance of bruises. This is completely normal and swelling and bruising will go away over time.
In the first month, the sensitivity of the nipples may be impaired, and the sensitivity of the breast itself may be changed. This is a normal phenomenon, sensitivity will gradually return to normal.
Throughout the healing period, you need to take care of the sutures. The doctor will tell you how to do this and with what regularity. And to avoid complications such as infection or the formation of a rough scar, it is necessary to strictly adhere to all prescriptions.
To speed up the healing process, a special massage is prescribed from the first weeks, which does not allow the connective tissue to form a dense and rough shell around the implant.
It is imperative to carry out general skin care. The fact is that immediately after the operation the skin is stretched due to swelling, so the breasts seem very young. But over time, the tension decreases and the skin returns to normal. And to prevent excessive stretching, you need to use special cosmetics that increase the elasticity of the skin. Naturally, the selection of funds should be discussed with your doctor.
And one more thing: nutrition. If a woman wants to lose weight, she should do so before surgery. As you know, breast volume and its shape depend on body weight, more precisely, on the amount of subcutaneous fat. If its layer becomes thinner, the breasts will sag, which will worsen the effect of the operation. In addition, stretch marks may appear.
However, gaining weight is also not recommended. The best option is your usual diet, perhaps a more balanced one. During the recovery period, the body needs everything: proteins, fats, carbohydrates, microelements and vitamins. But - in reasonable quantities.
Rehabilitation and recovery after mammoplasty
Recovery after breast augmentation surgery can last from one month to six months. However, even after this period, the woman will have to follow a few simple rules.
In the first days after mammoplasty, women complain of swelling and pain. These conditions are not complications, but a consequence of soft tissue damage, which is inevitable during such operations. The swelling usually increases during the first 2-3 days, then gradually subsides and completely disappears after six months.
Painful sensations can be eliminated with painkillers prescribed by the surgeon. Unlike swelling, pain persists for several days. Another common complaint is increased body temperature. It can reach 38°C and persist for 7 days.
During the rehabilitation period, it is important to regularly come for dressing changes according to the schedule drawn up by the plastic surgeon. Follow-up examinations are also required one week, one month, two months, four months, six months and one year after surgery. It is after a year that the breast is completely restored and takes its final shape or, as surgeons say, “ripes.”
The essence of the recovery period is to create favorable conditions for tissue healing. To do this, you must follow certain rules. The most important of these is wearing compression garments. Typically, the surgeon recommends wearing a special bra regularly for two months.
The next recommendation is to ensure maximum rest for the upper half of the body during the first 24 hours after surgery. This will be monitored by the clinic staff while the woman is in the recovery room.
Also, during rehabilitation after mammoplasty, it is necessary to limit physical activity for two months. In addition, a woman should avoid sudden movements and jumps, refuse to visit the pool, and avoid intimacy. After two months, you can return to physical activity, but only with a gradual and slow increase in intensity. If at this moment there is pain or discomfort in the chest area, you should immediately see a plastic surgeon.
In order to make scars invisible, it is necessary to avoid visiting a solarium and not sunbathe during rehabilitation.
Equally important is proper nutrition during recovery. Firstly, it will help to avoid weight gain, and secondly, it will speed up the rehabilitation process.
Additionally, the surgeon may prescribe special products (plasters, gels, ointments) that will help speed up the wound healing process and prevent the formation of keloid scars.
If you follow all the doctor’s recommendations and do not self-medicate, then the recovery period will be easy and simple, and most importantly, after its completion you will be able to get the result that was planned.
What to pay attention to
Knowing how rehabilitation goes after mammoplasty, you need to listen to your body. What should alert you and be a reason to visit a doctor as soon as possible:
- Fresh bruises, hemorrhages.
- Discharge from the sutures, their redness, increased pain, bleeding.
- Deterioration in general condition a week or two after surgery.
- High temperature for several days.
- The seam has come apart.
- A rough, raised scar is formed.
- There is a suspicion of implant displacement.
All these complications arise when the recommendations of the attending physician are not followed; each of them is serious in its own way and can lead to various consequences, ranging from the need for repeated surgery to sepsis. Therefore, you should not neglect the rules - compliance with them determines whether a woman will be pleased with her new breasts, or whether she will have to spend much more time in the clinic than she wanted.
Yes, in some cases the occurrence of complications is the fault of the doctor, whose qualifications are clearly insufficient to carry out this type of intervention. But at EstetClinic this is excluded. We employ surgeons with the highest qualifications and extensive experience, who receive only rave reviews. Therefore, if you need to tighten or enlarge or reduce your breasts, you can safely contact our specialists.
