At Boulder Plastic Surgery in Boulder, CO, we understand how significantly your self-confidence can be affected if you have asymmetrical breasts or breasts that you feel are too small. That’s why we are proud to offer breast augmentation. However, we also understand that surgery needs to be considered carefully. To determine if this procedure is right for you, read on to learn more about what to expect during the recovery.
How Long Is Recovery After a Breast Augmentation?
How long your breast augmentation recovery takes depends on many factors, including your overall health, the technique used to augment your breasts, and the placement of the implants relative to your chest muscles. However, you can generally expect to need two months of recovery before you can resume your usual routine.
Typically, the healthier you are, the sooner you can expect to recover from surgery. Similarly, you can generally expect to recover faster if your implants are placed above your chest muscles. During your initial consultation, we will discuss what techniques we can use to augment your breasts and how that may affect your recovery timeline.
What Does a Typical Recovery Timeline Look Like?
Week 1
During the first one to three days following your breast enhancement, you can expect to feel very tired. To keep you calm and comfortable during surgery, we will administer general anesthesia before the procedure begins. It is not uncommon for general anesthesia to cause drowsiness for 24 hours. You can also expect to feel particularly tired because your body requires a lot of energy to heal the incision sites.
Three to five days after your procedure, you can start resuming your usual routine. You can safely lift up to 10 pounds, but you won’t be able to do any repetitive upper body movements, like indoor rowing, boxing, or weight lifting for a few weeks. Typically, you can expect your first follow-up appointment to occur five to seven days after surgery.
Week 2
Generally, you can return to work after dedicating a week to your recovery if you have a sedentary job. You can also expect to have a second follow-up appointment 10 to 14 days after your procedure.
Also, you should be free to resume low-impact activities after one or two weeks of recovery. Just take care to listen carefully to your body and rest whenever you feel you need to. Keeping your workouts to a third of their usual duration helps to ensure you don’t overexert yourself.
Week 6
By the sixth week of your recovery, you can resume moderate-impact activities. Depending on the scope of your procedure and other factors, you may be able to resume moderate-impact activities as early as four weeks into your recovery. The sixth week of your recovery is also notable because it is the last week that you must wear a compression garment to improve circulation and comfort and facilitate a faster recovery.
Am I a Good Candidate for This Procedure?
You must attend an initial consultation to confirm that you are a good candidate for this procedure. We need to verify that you are physically and mentally ready for surgery, and we also must ensure that this body contouring procedure will be effective for you. To be considered a good breast augmentation candidate, you must have realistic expectations about the procedure, the results, and the recovery process.
You also must be able to follow all preparation and recovery guidelines to be deemed a good fit for surgery. To ensure that you are physically healthy enough for surgery, we will review your medical history and assess your current health. Certain medical conditions, like hypertension, are contraindications for surgery.
How Old Do I Have To Be To Qualify for Surgery?
To qualify for saline implants, you must be at least 18 years old. Similarly, you must be 18 years of age or older to be considered a good candidate for fat grafting to augment your breasts. You must be at least 22 years of age to be considered a good candidate for silicone implants.
What Preparation Steps Do I Need To Take Before Surgery?
For two weeks before your breast enhancement, you must avoid consuming tobacco products, drinking alcohol, and taking any drugs or supplements that can thin your blood. Alcohol and nicotine are significant contraindications for surgery, causing such problems as high blood pressure. Taking blood thinners can also negatively affect your procedure.
Another important preparation step to take before surgery is to ensure you are ready for your recovery period. To reiterate, you may only need a week off from work if you have a sedentary job. If your job is more physically demanding, you should ensure that you can take a couple of weeks off from work. You should also ensure you have someone to drive you home from surgery and stay home with you for a few days.
What Aftercare Guidelines Do I Need To Follow?
During your initial consultation, we will advise you on every aftercare guideline required of you. One of the most important rules to follow is to avoid drinking alcohol and smoking for two weeks post-op. Similarly, the consumption of NSAIDs and similar drugs must be avoided for two weeks after surgery.
It is also important that you take all of your medications as prescribed. For instance, regardless of whether you feel like you have a bacterial infection, you must take a full course of antibiotics. You also must not exceed the recommended daily dosage of analgesics. Furthermore, you need to stay hydrated and eat nutritiously during your recovery. Good foods to eat include:
- Lean poultry
- Fruits
- Vegetables
- Whole grains
Schedule Your Initial Consultation Today
It may take a couple of months before you can resume your usual routine, including high-impact activity. However, you will only need three to five days off from non-strenuous physical activity, like lifting no more than 10 pounds. To learn more about the breast augmentation recovery process, schedule an appointment with us today at Boulder Plastic Surgery in Boulder, CO.