Breast Surgery Aftercare

Following your breast surgery it is advisable to go home and rest as much as possible for at least the first 24 – 48 hours. The general anaesthetic will have made you feel tired, and this coupled with the trauma of any operation on your body, means that rest and sleep is the best way to aid your recovery and give the best result possible.

You will experience mild to moderate discomfort after your breast augmentation and it is recommended that you take one or two pain relieving tablets (such as Paracetamol) on a regular basis for a few days. DO NOT TAKE ASPIRIN OR ANY PRODUCTS CONTAINING ASPIRIN as this may prolong or cause bleeding in the early post operative period.

Your breasts will be swollen and tender and there may be some bruising initially, though this should settle in a week or two.

Try not to over exert yourself physically for the first three or four days after surgery and limit your arm movement for the first week.

You are normally told to purchase a sports bra beforehand and it is recommended that you wear this regularly day and night in order to support your breasts. After six weeks of wearing a sports bra, you may start wearing under-wired bras again.

You should avoid getting the wounds or dressings wet for the first week.

Dissolvable stitches will have been used. These normally dissolve spontaneously in the first four to eight weeks. If non-dissolvable stitches were used, you will need to return for suture removal 7 – 10 days after your procedure.

At one week post operatively you will be seen by the nurse who will remove the dressing and inspect your wound. If the wound is healing nicely at this stage you may recommence bathing then.

It is very important in the early period after your operation that you move around your home as much as possible. After a good week of rest you may commence gentle arm movements and arm exercises and by one to two weeks post operatively you should be ready to recommence light household duties. By one month post operatively you may recommence light gym work, returning to full normal activities by six weeks.

You should refrain from driving for the first three days. After this you may recommence driving once you feel confident to undertake an emergency stop.

It is advisable to stop smoking prior to your operation in order to reduce the risks of complications. Once your wound has healed it is safe to recommence smoking if you wish to do so. You should however, avoid smoking for the first two weeks post operatively as this can inhibit good healing.

Following the breast surgery, the type of job that you do determines when you can return to work. If you are mainly confined to deskwork, you may feel able to return to work after two weeks. More physical occupations may require four weeks of recuperation before you feel able to return to work.

The scar will take time to mature. During the first six weeks the scar will pretty much look after itself. By week six you should commence moisturising and massaging the scar with E45 cream or other products that the nurse has advised. The aim being to soften the scar and speed up final scar maturation. The delicate scar tissue is at greater risk of sunburn if exposed to the sun, therefore, you are advised to avoid sun exposure to any scar tissue for the first six weeks of healing, after this if the area is to be exposed to sunlight you should apply sun protection factor 15 or greater sun block to exposed scar tissue.

Though most people experience uneventful post operative recovery, if you develop any of the following you should contact botonics:

• Temperature greater than 38.0°.
• Severe pain not alleviated by simple painkillers.
• Fresh bleeding from the wound, other than a minor ooze.
• Any wound discharge after 48 hours.
• Sudden rapid enlargement of one or other breast.

If you have any queries, questions or concerns regarding your procedure or recovery please feel free to contact botonics.