Recovery From Breast Augmentation

Are you interested in getting breast implants?  Well, if you are interested in this option, it is important to know what you are getting into.  This would include evaluating the potential benefits along with the risks.  It also involves considering what you will be going through during the surgery as well as dealing with the recovery period following the surgery.  Now while many women choose to get this surgery for cosmetic reasons, some also choose this surgery after having a mastectomy due to cancer.  Today we will describe the surgery along with what it will take for you to recover from this surgery.

In this surgery, what happens is that the surgeon is placing breast implants under your current breast tissue or your chest muscles.  Many women choose this because they are dissatisfied with their breasts and would like bigger and fuller breasts, believing that it will provide them with more self-confidence and a better self-image as a result.  This surgery has become so popular with women that is one of the most common forms of cosmetic surgery in the United States for women.  Yet it is still important to evaluate the risks and the benefits.

There are a number of reasons why women may choose breast augmentation.  First, they may want to increase the size of their breasts because they do not like the current size.  Second, their breasts may be of unequal sizes, so they may want to make them even.  Sometimes after pregnancy, a woman's breasts will get smaller, and so a woman may want this surgery in order to increase the size of her breasts after having children. In other cases in which cancer was involved, a woman may need breast surgery. 

Now that we have discussed some of the reasons why women may choose to have breast augmentation surgery, now it is important to evaluate the potential risks of the surgery.  First, it is important to understand that you may need more than one surgery.  Later in life you may have to either remove the implants or to replace them.  In fact, many women have to have a second operation if they have had saline breast implants.  A second risk is a rupture in the breast implant.  This can cause the fluid from the implant to end up leaking into the surrounding breast tissue.  This could be the result of an impact, such as a car accident, or it could result due to small cracks in the shell of the implant that can happen over a period of time.  Another potential risk is breast deflation.  This can happen due to either a rupture of the breast implant or else a leak that comes about slowly.  This will cause your breasts to look very different from each other or cause them to wrinkle or to begin to sag.  Another possibility is when scar tissue forms around your implant.  Then this scar tissue can end up building up and this can lead to a constriction of your implant.  this can lead to a condition that is disfiguring and can lead to you needing more corrective surgery.  Another risk you are taking is getting an infection.  While medications are usually helpful, the antibiotics may not be able to be successful in treating these sorts of infections.  Taking out the breast implants may be the only solution if you have an infection that becomes severe.  Have you ever heard of hematoma?  This is also a possibility, as blood as well as other fluids may be around your breast implant, and this can lead you to feel pain or develop an infection.  You could also experience much pain following your surgery, which can be letting you know that you have a pretty severe problem, including a rupture of the implant or a capsular contracture.  You might also not be completely satisfied with your breast implants. 

You will need to meet with the plastic surgeon regarding the preferences that you have in terms of the feel of your breasts, the size, and how you expect them to look.  Your surgeon will describe the techniques and give you information about what your options areas.  If you smoke,  you will also be advised not to smoke for about a month or more prior to your breast augmentation surgery.  You will also need to stay away from drugs that are anti-inflammatory and to avoid aspirin so that you do not have more bleeding during your surgery. 

There are a number of things that  you need to keep in mind in preparation for breast augmentation surgery.  First, keep in mind that breast implants are not meant for life, and you will likely need to replace them or remove them at some point in your life.  You also may need to have more surgery after the removal of your breast implants.  This is because you may end up with extra skin that is droopy or wrinkled.  You may also need to remove any skin that is extra now and you may also need to have your nipple repositioned correctly.  Also you need to know that breast implants will not keep your breasts from sagging following your pregnancy.  In fact, some women will also want to have a breast lift along with the augmentation so that they can lift breasts that are currently sagging.  It is also important to remember that having breast implants may make breastfeeding more of a challenge.  You will also need to start getting mammograms at a certain age, but having breast implant surgery may make it more difficult to get a mammogram.  You also need to make sure that you can afford the procedure, as the majority of insurance companies will not include this procedure under their policies, since it is a cosmetic surgery. 

This form of cosmetic surgery can be completed in an outpatient facility of a hospital or in a surgical center.  It is probable that you will be able to go home on the same day as the surgery, but sometimes the surgery may require you to stay in the hospital for just a day.  Normally it will be completed while you remain awake.  Only the area of your breasts will need to be numbed, but you will probably also need a sedative that will put you into a semi-dreamy state.  In some cases, the surgeon will decide to put you to sleep instead. 

The breast implants that you choose may be in different shapes and sizes.  They can be either textured or smooth.  They can be filled with saline or with gel that is silicone.   In order for the surgeon to be able to put the breast implant in, he or she will have to make an incision in a particular place.  There are several options, such as around the nipple, in the fold of the breast, and under the arm.  Once the incision has been made, then  your surgeon will need to separate the glandular tissue of your breast from the muscles as well as the connective tissue of your chest in order to create a pocket that is either in front or else behind the muscle of your chest wall that is at the outer part.  Then the surgeon will place the implant into the pocket and then put it directly behind your nipple.  If you have chosen saline implants, then the implants are empty.  The surgeon will later fill them with saline that is sterile once the implants are placed correctly.  If you have chosen silicone implants, then they have already been filled when they are placed inside your breast. 

Now it is time to discuss what you can expect in terms of recovery from your breast augmentation surgery.  You will probably be sore for some time after your surgery is completed.  Your doctor will be able to write you a prescription for some pain medication.  If you do not have a job that is demanding physically, then you may be able to go back to work in just a few days.  Yet you can expect that getting back to a regular routine will take you more like a few weeks.  This is because your breasts will still be very sensitive to any contact, especially any sudden movements or jarring of the breasts.  You should make sure that you speak to  your doctor about when it will be safe for you to return to your regular activities.  In the meantime, you will still have sutures in your breasts following your surgery.  In many cases, these sutures will not need to be removed.  In addition, some women also have tubes for drainage following their surgery, but this is not common.  Yet if you do have drainage tubes, they will have to be removed just a few days later.  You may also want to wear a compression bandage and keep a sports bra on for some time in order to give your breasts more support and keep them in position.  Many women will complain of a sensation that feels like burning in their nipples for several weeks,  but this does normally go away after some time of healing.  You will also be able to see some bruising and some swelling.  You can also expect that you will feel some pain and tenderness in your breasts.  Yet if you are having redness in your breasts or if you are having a fever, there may be an infection present, so you will need to see your surgeon.  At the beginning, the scars from the incision will seem to be pink and firm.  As time passes, those scars will fade some, but they will probably still be present.  If your skin is a darker pigmentation, then you will be more likely to notice the scars.