Some of the best tips for recovering from breast augmentation are those that help with the most common cosmetic surgery side effects. The most typical cosmetic surgery side effects include pain, swelling, and nausea. Surgeons usually prescribe or recommend medications, cold compresses, and little-to-no physical activity until the breasts begin to significantly recover. Decreasing physical activity also helps avoid complications with the breasts, implants, incisions, and surrounding areas. It’s important for the patient to follow the surgeon’s instructions and keep every follow-up appointment to make sure she is properly recovering from breast augmentation.
The surgeon will probably prescribe medication for pain and nausea to help with the first few days the patient is recovering from breast augmentation. As time passes and the pain and nausea begin to lessen, he might suggest over-the-counter medication. Some surgeons even inject a numbing medication near the breast implants to help decrease or eliminate the initial pain. Patients should keep in mind that breast implants inserted under the chest muscle tend to cause more pain than those inserted above the muscle. Therefore, it could take longer for the pain to start to disappear in patients with under-the-muscle breast implants.
Medication instructions aren’t the only doctor’s orders a cosmetic surgery patient should follow. For example, the surgeon might suggest ice packs to reduce swelling. If silicone implants were used, he might recommend massaging the breasts a certain number of times each day. Most likely, the surgeon will advise the patient to avoid strenuous activity, including exercise and bending or stretching in any way. These precautions can help prevent stress and damage to the breast tissue, the surrounding muscles and skin, the incision points, and the implants themselves.
There are several steps a cosmetic surgery patient can take before surgery to make recovering from breast augmentation easier. For example, the patient might make sure she has enough time off work to fully recover. She might take care of as many errands and household chores as possible, so she doesn’t have to worry about them while she’s recovering. The patient might also make sure she has a network of family members and friends to help with everyday matters such as cooking, walking the dog, and even showering. These might seem like easy tasks, but they can be difficult and even cause complications for a person recovering from breast augmentation.
Usually, a patient recovering from breast augmentation will have several follow-up appointments with her surgeon. Keeping these appointments is important to the recovery process for two reasons. First, the patient will be able to communicate any concerns she has with the recovery process. Second, the surgeon will be able to examine the breasts and determine whether they’re healing properly or if there are problems the patient might have missed. Frequent communication between the patient and surgeon can help them know if they’re on the right path to recovery or if there are any complications to deal with.
