Rehabilitation after mammoplasty

Breast correction surgery is a fairly complex procedure that requires recovery time. A key role in the recovery time is played by how carefully the patient follows the recommendations prescribed to her by the operating surgeon. Every woman who has decided to enlarge her bust must understand that for some period she will have to go through some inconveniences and prohibitions.

The aesthetic result largely depends on the personal awareness of the patients. Of course, the qualifications of the surgeon, the quality of the implants and many other factors also play an important role in how successful the operation will ultimately be. And yet, violation of the rules and prohibitions during the rehabilitation period can nullify all the efforts of the plastic surgeon.

How long does rehabilitation take?

It is quite difficult to name the exact time it takes to recover from mammoplasty. There are too many reasons that can affect the recovery speed:

l the complexity of the breast surgery performed,
l strict adherence to doctor’s recommendations,
l individual characteristics of the body,
l lifestyle, etc.

On average, healing takes from one to two months. Rehabilitation takes place in two periods. The first is post-operative and lasts about four weeks. It is at this time that the strictest prohibitions and restrictions occur. During the recovery period, the requirements are no longer so strict, and the main efforts are aimed primarily at restoring functionality. Minor physical activity is already allowed here.

Recommendations during the recovery period

You can quickly see your own breasts in an ideal form and forget about discomfort.

other mandatory rehabilitation rules:

A compression bra should become a constant companion for 2 months. It will keep the breast from swaying, the implant from moving, and relieve the woman from pain. Therefore, such underwear is worn almost continuously, taking off only to take a shower and treat seams.

You need to wash with warm water, avoiding hot baths or saunas. You should also avoid solariums and visiting the beach for 3 months. And later there is no need to expose the stitches to ultraviolet radiation. This can make them very noticeable.

The seams need care. First, it consists of antiseptic treatment so that the tissues heal without problems. Then you should use creams that will make the resulting scars less noticeable.

For the first month and a half, physical activity, bending, and heavy lifting are unacceptable, even if it is a small child or a pet. Sports are limited to light exercises that promote rehabilitation. But a doctor must also allow you to do restorative exercises.

Nutrition is healthy, complete, without excesses. We need vitamins and protein to make the recovery processes go faster. Be sure to drink a lot of water, but you will have to give up alcohol and smoking for now. Alcohol and tobacco interfere with the formation of new cells, that is, they prevent the healing of internal and external sutures.

It is worth monitoring your weight, not losing weight and not gaining excess weight. Both can lead to changes in your own breast tissue, making the result of the operation different from what was planned.

We recommend reading about sports after mammoplasty. You will learn about why it is not recommended to start playing sports right away, the optimal timing for this, the rules for introducing load, and exercises that should be delayed. And here is more information about complications after double bubble mammoplasty.

In each case, you should ask your surgeon about whether it is possible to sleep on your side after mammoplasty. One of the conditions for its successful outcome is high-quality restoration. But for the sake of the effect, you can endure short-term inconvenience.

How is rehabilitation after mammoplasty going day by day?

On the first day after the intervention, the patient is under the supervision of medical personnel. This time is characterized by high pain, as the effect of anesthesia and painkillers stops. You can only be in a sitting or semi-sitting position. At first, you should not take food or water.

If healing proceeds as normal, the patient can leave the clinic the very next day. A dressing is first made and, if a drainage was installed during the operation, it is removed. During the third and fourth days, home regimen and moderate walking are recommended, but that’s all - no physical activity is allowed anymore.

Sutures are removed on the seventh to tenth day after surgery. If self-absorbable material was used, then removal of sutures is not required. After this, the patient gradually returns to her previous lifestyle. But exercise and sports are not allowed. You should visit your doctor 12-14 days after surgery.

You won, what's next?

Rehabilitation doctor, candidate of medical sciences, head of the rehabilitation department Olga Obukhova and rehabilitation doctor Marina Khulamkhanova State Budgetary Institution "National Medical Research Center of Oncology named after. N.N. Blokhin" of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation: - The treatment plan for each patient is determined at a consultation with the participation of a surgeon, chemotherapist and radiologist.
Treatment of breast cancer includes local treatment (surgery, radiation therapy) and systemic treatment (chemotherapy, hormone therapy, targeted therapy). Surgery to remove the breast is called a mastectomy. This is usually only part of the comprehensive treatment prescribed to women diagnosed with breast cancer. Its goal is to prevent the spread of the cancer process. Breast removal in women is achieved by completely removing the tissue of the gland itself, the surrounding subcutaneous fat and lymph nodes.

The operation is traumatic for the body, but overall health is restored quite quickly. By the evening after the operation (by agreement with the attending physician), you can sit up in bed and get up on the second day. If your health allows, you can carefully move around the room and go to the toilet on your own. On the 3rd–4th day after the operation, the state of health becomes normal. The length of hospitalization after surgery averages 10–21 days.

What not to do after surgery

The postoperative period after mammoplasty is the most difficult time. For seven days, personal hygiene is limited, in particular you cannot shower or bathe. The reason for this is the compression garments that are put on immediately after surgery. During the first week, it is strictly forbidden to remove it. In the future, removing and putting on underwear is permitted provided that the process is correct. Your doctor will teach you how to position your bra correctly on your chest.

Also in the first week, sleeping on your stomach, raising your arms above your shoulders, lifting weights over 1 kg, sudden movements of the arms or body, and bending are prohibited. Violation of these prohibitions can lead to implant displacement, pain or discomfort, and a decrease in the desired aesthetic results.

It is advisable to give up driving and intimate relationships for two weeks. It is also not recommended to play sports for a month, swim in the pool for one and a half to two months, and for three months you should not visit a bathhouse or sauna.

Why go to the plastic surgeons of the Pirogov Clinic in St. Petersburg for the best results from mammoplasty?

Plastic surgeons of the clinic named after. N.I. Pirogov has accumulated successful experience in aesthetic and reconstructive breast correction surgeries since 1999. We perform all types of mammoplasty: breast augmentation (endoprosthetics), lift (mastopexy), reduction mammoplasty, correction of gynecomastia, asymmetry and other defects. By contacting us, you can be confident in the high standards of preoperative examination, first-class aesthetic results and the professionalism of our doctors. On our website you can view the portfolio of each plastic surgeon and read reviews about him.

We offer our patients:

Services of the best plastic surgeons in St. Petersburg, whose professional successes are annually noted by independent experts and industry leaders, as well as by the patients themselves.
Promotions and special offers (all inclusive) at affordable prices;
Free face-to-face consultations with plastic surgeons for primary patients.
Availability of all highly specialized medical specialists whose assistance may be required in one place.
Our own laboratory, which allows you to quickly obtain accurate diagnostic results - we can send the results of preoperative examinations by email, if that is more convenient for you.
Operating rooms equipped with new generation medical equipment.
High comfort and luxury rooms.
The ability to consult with plastic surgeons remotely using the Online Clinic service.
Interest-free installment plan for plastic surgery.
Organizational assistance from a regional manager for patients from other cities.

Care of the operated area

At first, the mammary glands will be swollen and painful. This is absolutely normal and there is no need to worry. Hematomas may also be observed. A doctor's examination will only be needed if these phenomena last a very long time or the sensations are too pronounced.

The surgeon will definitely give advice and recommendations on proper recovery after mammoplasty. This includes, for example, daily treatment of sutures with antiseptic preparations. It is also possible to use ointments that accelerate tissue regeneration. It is prohibited to choose your own treatment; the use of any means must first be discussed with the surgeon.

The doctor may also prescribe a special therapeutic massage. The technique is demonstrated in advance. As is the case with other nuances of breast care, giving yourself a massage without the appointment of a specialist is highly not recommended.

Physical exercises for the arms and shoulder girdle

Performing arm and shoulder exercises will help you regain full range of motion on the treated side. The treated side is the side where the surgery was performed. Range of motion is the range of movement of a body part that is safe for you. Full range of motion will allow you to:

raise your hand above your head and move it to the side;
put your hand behind your neck;
reach with your hand to the middle of your back.

The types of exercises you can do for your arms and shoulders and when to start them depend on the type of surgery you have had. Your healthcare team will provide you with the materials you need based on your surgery. You can also use the table below.

Procedures performed during a mastectomy	Instructions
No (mastectomy only)	Exercise after mastectomy without immediate lymph node reconstruction or breast reconstruction
Immediate lymphatic reconstruction (ILR)	Physical exercises after mastectomy with simultaneous reconstruction of lymph nodes
Breast reconstruction using a tissue expander	Exercise after mastectomy with breast reconstruction using a tissue expander
Breast reconstruction with tissue transplantation	Exercise after mastectomy with breast reconstruction and tissue transfer
Simultaneous lymph node and breast reconstruction using a tissue expander	Physical exercises after mastectomy with simultaneous reconstruction of lymph nodes and breast reconstruction
Simultaneous reconstruction of lymph nodes and mammary gland with tissue transplantation	Exercise after mastectomy with breast reconstruction and tissue transfer

If you have any questions about the types of exercise you should do and how to do them, ask a member of your health care team.

to come back to the beginning

Compression underwear

Full rehabilitation after mammoplasty is impossible without wearing specialized underwear. A compression bra helps greatly in tissue repair. Due to the distribution of pressure, blood circulation and lymph outflow are normalized, which has a beneficial effect on regeneration.

For the first week, you cannot take off or unbutton your underwear. During the first month, you must wear underwear around the clock. After this period, the bra can be removed at night. But again, only the doctor can tell you the exact timing - without his recommendations, there is no need to change the mode of wearing underwear.

If you independently decide to remove underwear, position it incorrectly, or otherwise disrupt the wearing procedure, this can negatively affect the aesthetics. The most common consequence is implant displacement. Various breast deformities are also possible.

Solarium after breast augmentation

Many women visited a solarium before plastic surgery. After breast augmentation, doctors recommend excluding it from life for 1 year. This is explained by the influence of ultraviolet radiation on different body systems:

Provokes the appearance of fibrous spots at the implant site, which makes the defect noticeable;
Slows down scarring and discoloration of postoperative scars;
Rapidly heats up the internal prosthesis, which leads to its deformation and the risk of rejection;
Increases the risk of developing cancer of the mammary glands and neighboring organs;
Promotes accelerated photoaging and increased skin pigmentation.

When can you sunbathe after breast augmentation?

For the next year after the operation, it is prohibited to sunbathe under both natural sunlight and artificial UV radiation. During the first 2-3 months there is active recovery, and tanning can cause stress to the body. At 4-6 months, complete healing of the scars occurs, but ultraviolet radiation makes the scars pigmented and there is even a risk of burns. Only after complete rehabilitation is it allowed to sunbathe and sunbathe.

Despite some benefits of ultraviolet light - enriching with vitamin D and energizing muscle tissue and fascia - consult a qualified doctor before visiting a tanning salon or the beach.

Sign up for a free consultation by calling the phone number listed on the website.

When will it be possible to return to normal life?

The main nuances and prohibitions were listed above. Mandatory wearing of special underwear, following all doctor’s recommendations, observing all prohibitions will help speed up the rehabilitation process during mammoplasty. A successful operation in itself does not guarantee an ideal result. Only in combination with strict adherence to all established rules can you get the maximum effect.

Therefore, the importance of the rehabilitation period cannot be underestimated. And, as for the operation itself, the qualifications of the specialist are very important here. The more experienced the doctor, the more detailed he will tell you about the nuances of the recovery period.

The specialists at the Osnova plastic surgery clinic in Moscow are experienced professionals focused on maximum results. Contact a trusted clinic to get a guaranteed high-quality result of the operation.

Exoprostheses and special underwear after mastectomy

Exoprostheses are artificial overlays made of soft materials. They imitate the shape and size of the patient's real breasts. Exoprostheses are selected individually for each woman and are worn continuously after the permission of the attending physician. A correctly selected exoprosthesis will give a woman confidence, and will also become a therapeutic and prophylactic means of rapid post-operative adaptation.

The exoprosthesis compensates for weight imbalance, preventing secondary body deformations such as curvature of the spine, drooping shoulders, and poor posture. It is also worth noting the importance of special underwear that will secure the exoprosthesis. Special bras are worn together with exoprostheses. They provide safety and comfort when wearing exoprostheses.

The straps of special bras are padded, widened in the shoulder area, do not cut into the skin, and reduce pressure on the shoulders, preventing lymphedema. The underwear should fit tightly so that the prosthesis does not change position when moving and bending.

Beneficial physical activity

Rules for caring for your health:

1. Swimming. Water soothes, has a gentle massaging effect, and the hand recovers faster. Lymph outflow is normalized. The swelling subsides.

2. Exercise. Simple to do but very effective. They will easily become a daily habit.

“Combing your hair” Place your elbow on the edge of your bedside table. Keep your head straight. Start by combing one half of your head, then gradually move to the other. Don't get overwhelmed, but be persistent;
“Ball” Clenching and unclenching the hand. Use a rubber ball or other object, squeezing it in your palm;
“Drying your back” Using a towel or similar object, make gentle movements that simulate drying your back. Repeat on both sides.

3. Wearing a compression sleeve. It is necessary to prevent the occurrence of edema and the threat of lymphedema. Therefore, it needs to be worn under load: work in the country, household chores, flights or a long road. If you couldn’t put on a sleeve during physical activity, be sure to put it on afterwards. Agree that it is better to wear a prophylactic sleeve during exercise than to constantly wear a therapeutic compression sleeve if lymphedema begins to develop.