Breast implant surgery, also known as breast augmentation, is the process of enlarging the breasts by placing implants made of either silicone or saline under the breast tissue or chest muscle. Saline breast implants are filled with sterile salt water. These implants can either be pre-filled or filled during the time of surgery. With silicone implants, a soft, elastic gel fills the implant and these are usually always pre-filled.
Women who have particularly small breast sizes before the surgery often want to increase their cup size, as well as women who have lost ‘fullness’ due to pregnancy or weight loss, are all individuals that make great candidates for breast implant surgery. Like most plastic surgery procedures, breast augmentation is voluntary and therefore not usually covered by any health insurance coverage plan.
When you’re getting ready to have breast augmentation performed, you first meet with a plastic surgeon to discuss your options. The surgeon informs you of all your options, how the procedure is performed and what you’ll likely experience afterwards.
For instance, the surgeon usually will explain that you’ll be under a general anesthetic during the surgery; he’ll explain where incisions will be made under your breast, under the arm and any other places near your chest and explain that the breast implant will be inserted. Overall, you can expect the procedure to take around one to two hours, depending on if any complications arise.
Immediately Following Breast Augmentation
Most women are concerned with the after-effects of the surgery and what changes they’ll go through. Immediately following surgery, you can expect your breasts to be covered with gauze. Depending on the particular surgeon and his recommendations and preferences, you may have drainage tubes attached after the surgery, but these are removed several days after the surgery by the doctor as is the case with any other stitches and bandages.
After you are discharged from the surgical center, you must have a friend or other responsible adult drive you home. In addition, you should also have this person with you for a minimum of 24-hours following surgery, if possible. During the initial few days to a week, your doctor may want you to wear a surgical bra to aid the healing process.
Recovering during the Weeks and Months After
For breakthrough pain during the initial recovery period, you can take acetaminophen or ibuprofen as analgesics, but your doctor may also prescribe some stronger pain medications if your particular situation warrants it. Generally, you’ll need these pain medications for a few days following surgery as you may feel stiffness and soreness in your breasts or chest region.
For swelling and any bruising that occurs, you can use cold packs that can help relieve any pain felt. In fact, swelling can continue for several months after the surgery, meaning that you can use cold packs as a pain reliever. But it’s also important for you to avoid physical contact as much as possible to the breasts during this time. Otherwise, the quality of the results achieved could diminish.
Generally, the plastic surgeon will recommend that you take it easy following the surgery for at least a couple weeks. Depending on the type of job you have, you can go back to work within two to three weeks. However, some surgeons place restrictions on working duties and activities in general, such as no heavy lifting for up to six weeks and avoiding excess activity.
The Breast Implant Drop
After the breast augmentation procedure is finished and during the initial recovery period, you may notice that your breast implants are resting a bit higher than you would like them to. This is completely normal and should have been explained to you before the procedure. You’ll notice this abnormality for a few weeks after surgery, at which point your implants should “drop.”
The length of time that it takes individual implants to drop into this more comfortable, natural position depends on the implant size, the breast implant surface type, your muscle tone and the size you were before the surgery. For example, if you have received moderate to large implants and had very small breasts before the surgery took place, you can expect your implants to take a little longer than the average to drop.
To encourage this “drop,” many plastic surgeons encourage you to massage your breasts soon after surgery. If your breast implants never drop, however, during the first six to nine months following the procedure then you may have to discuss your options with the surgeon.
Sadness following Surgery
Though you may feel that you have something “wrong” with you if you feel sad following surgery, these feelings are completely normal. You may have a couple reasons to feel sad or depressed. For starters, side effects to medications or the anesthesia you had to undergo can cause slight depression. On the other hand, you may be slightly depressed because you’re second-guessing yourself and having second thoughts about the surgery that just took place. Or it may be other events causing sad feelings.
Whatever the case, you need to talk to the surgeon if you think you’re feeling an extreme level of sadness after the surgery. He can often refer you to a therapist, counselor or prescribe anti-depressant medication that can help.
Jogging, Sex and Sleep
Several of the more common questions related to recovery from breast implant surgery include those on when you can resume normal sexual activities, take a jog and resume normal sleeping habits. For the first five to ten days after surgery, sleeping on your back with your head elevated can reduce discomfort and swelling. After about ten days to two weeks, however, you can begin to sleep on your stomach or side again, if you so choose.
As for sex and jogging, both of these activities are considered exercise. You may be able to resume normal sexual activities and activities a couple weeks after surgery, but not before some preventative measures are in place. For starters, you need to be fully healed before you can begin jogging, and you also need a good support bra when you do start up again. With anything during the recovery process, you must be careful about subjecting your breasts to an excess amount of up-and-down movements.
Though recovery after breast implants may feel or seem exhausting, you must keep your eye on the prize and think about the end result of feeling ‘fuller’ and enjoying your breasts again. During breast augmentation recovery, you need to not only listen to your plastic surgeon and follow his advice, but also protect your breasts and take preventive steps so that no complications arise.
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