Recovery After Breast Augmentation

After having breast augmentation at Little Rock Cosmetic Surgery Center,  as with any surgery, you will not able to drive, so you will be required to have a support person take you home. I would like you have someone stay overnight with you. Of course, you will have printed instructions with you too. For your health and safety, my nurse will go over these carefully with you. Just so you know what to expect, here is the basic aftercare for this particular surgery.

I instruct breast augmentation patients to begin arm exercises by raising your arms above your head in a slow jumping jack motion to the point where your biceps touch your ears, when they get home. You should repeat this motion 5 times each hour until bedtime. You should do these arm exercises 5 times a day for two weeks following surgery. Don’t feel too punished having to do this little exercise right after surgery, because you will have to discontinue your regular exercise program for one full month following surgery. Remember you must not lift more than 10 pounds the first week, and not more than 20 pounds the next three weeks. This is imperative for proper healing!  After you have eaten and taken pain medication, I encourage you to go with your caretaker on a short walk or engage in some light activity.

After your surgery you will have tape over your breasts. The day after surgery you may take a shower and take the tape off your incisions. Clean the incision sites with hydrogen peroxide. You should do this every morning and evening for 10 days. But you will not be able to bathe or otherwise submerge the incisions for a month. This is to prevent infection.

Sometimes the more you move, the better you will feel. So do a few more exercises the day after surgery, and do take soothing warm showers. It will be normal to feel tighter and more swollen at the end of the day. This is normal and temporary. You may need to sleep on your back for three weeks. Women tell me it sometimes takes up to three months to feel comfortable sleeping on your stomach. So tuck yourself in with pillows for support!

Take the pain medication as prescribed, unless you really feel you do not need that much. Do not take aspirin or any products containing aspirin until approved by me. In most cases, pain medication should be taken with food to prevent nausea. You will also be prescribed antibiotics. It is imperative that you take these as prescribed in order to prevent infection.

Don’t forget that it can take 3-12 months for the implant to settle itself into a more natural looking position. Please be patient,  in fact, read my blog on patience and recovery. The breast shape often takes months to develop its normal contour, so keep this in mind.

As always, it is imperative to follow the post operative instructions after breast augmentation to get the best results so refer back to the printed instructions I give you. More than that, pamper yourself! You are treating yourself to an elective surgery you always wanted. You have given this procedure thought and planning, why not pamper yourself during recovery? I recommend it!

Call the front desk for your consultation with me (501) 227-0707