Breast Reduction Recovery: What to Expect After Surgery
The team at Millennium Medical has helped countless patients in the greater Washington DC area by performing breast reduction surgery. Breast reduction surgery improves the size and shape of pendulous, drooping, and/or sagging breasts, enhancing a woman's body contour and overall figure in the process.
A number of prospective patients have asked about the recovery process following breast reduction surgery. Let's take a moment right now to consider these matters so you have realistic expectations about the procedure.
What to Expect Immediately After Your Breast Reduction Surgery
Immediately after your breast reduction surgery, you can expect to feel groggy, sore, and fatigued. This is normal as you are just coming out of general anesthetic. Patients should get ample rest after surgery. Rather than sleeping on your back, be sure to sleep with your body propped up by two to three pillows.
What to Expect In the First Days After Breast Reduction Surgery
Pain and discomfort are both very common after breast reduction surgery. Patients should continue to get rest and to do their best to relax. Pain medication should be taken as directed to help mitigate intense discomfort. Patients will be asked to wear a surgical bra and/or surgical dressings in the days and weeks to follow. Be sure to follow your surgeon's instructions regarding the changing of any surgical dressings.
What to Avoid as You Recover from Breast Reduction
As you heal, it's important that you avoid certain activities in order to prevent complications from occurring. Some activities to avoid include:
- Heavy lifting
- Strenuous exercise
- Sexual activity
- Bending over at the waist
- Running and jogging
- Consuming alcoholic beverages
- Using tobacco products
What to Expect In the First Week After Breast Reduction Surgery
By the end of the first week after your breast reduction surgery, you will have visited your surgeon for the first of several follow-ups. These checkups will be done in order to monitor your healing progress and check for any potential complications. If you should experience any issues at any time during your recovery, it's important that you contact your surgeon right away so the matter can be addressed as soon as possible.
Soreness, bruising, and swelling should be gradually abating after the end of the first week. Patients should continue to rest well in order to ensure proper healing. Most patients return to work after a week-and-a-half to two weeks, though this depends on the progress of their healing and their normal job duties.
What to Expect In the First Month After Breast Reduction Surgery
By the end of the first month after surgery, bruising should no longer be an issue and significant swelling will have faded. Some issues with numbness or tingling of the breast are normal and will become less of a side effect in the months ahead.
Patients will have had a few follow-up visits by the end of the first month, during which time the surgeon will determine if the patient can engage in certain activities again. Do not rush things. Allow yourself to heal and to achieve wellness at your own pace.
Breast Reduction Recovery Going Forward
In the months after breast reduction surgery, patients will return to normal activities, and minor swelling from surgery should go away. Issues with numbness and tingling should cease being an issue as well. Scars from surgery will often begin fading by this time and continue to fade over the years. Many undergarments and bathing suits will be able to conceal surgical scars, and many people heal in such a way that the scars are not especially noticeable.
Learn More About Your Cosmetic Surgery Options
To learn more about breast reduction surgery and your many other options for enhancing your appearance and improving your overall figure, be sure to contact our cosmetic surgery and aesthetic skin care center today. The team at Millennium Medical looks forward to meeting you in person and going over all of your options for advanced aesthetic care.