10 tips to take care of yourself after breast augmentation

04 Nov 10 tips to take care of yourself after breast augmentation

Breast augmentation is one of the most demanded surgeries. In the United States alone, 300,000 procedures are performed each year. In Spain, it is the most demanded aesthetic intervention: more than 16,000 new patients every year. It is important to point out the importance of entrusting your health to a certified Plastic Surgeon, especially when it comes to cosmetic breast surgery. Under no circumstances should we play with our health.

I would like to talk to you in this article about some basic recommendations in a breast augmentation postoperative period. When you make the decision to undergo this surgery, it is important that you list all your doubts and desires. In this way, the plastic surgeon will be able to understand your case perfectly and offer you the best procedure for you to have positive results. The selection process of implants, type of augmentation, volume, etc. proteic…these may seem like complicated concepts but they are conversations you should have with your plastic surgeon. Because through these decisions, the results will satisfy your desires and expectations.

In the same way, it is equally important to internalize these recommendations, which I detail below, to go through a satisfactory and safe breast augmentation postoperative period for your health.

10 recommendations after breast augmentation surgery

1. Rest. It seems obvious. After any operation, rest is necessary, as it allows the body to recover more quickly. After breast augmentation surgery, it is important that the operated area undergoes as little movement as possible. This does not mean that you cannot move for several days, but that the movements must be gentle and it is not advisable to perform the following activities no physical exertion during the first two weeks. With this rest we achieve, above all, a faster healing but also avoid complications such as rotation of the prosthesis or bleeding of the wound.
2. Sports bra. Compression is indispensable. With this bra we manage to fix the prosthesis during the inner healing and thus prevent it from moving with any involuntary movement that may occur in the arms. It is important that you follow the plastic surgeon’s recommendations at this point and that you wear the bra or breast band for as long as indicated. Failure to do so could compromise the results and lead to unwanted complications. So this point is very important.
3. Adequate hydration. As with any inflammation, the skin stretches and it is therefore important to maintain adequate hydration. In this way you will avoid the appearance of stretch marks in the area.
4. Scar healing. The outcome of a scar varies depending on different factors. One of them is the characteristics of the patient’s skin tissue. In any case, you should follow the guidelines that your surgeon will give you to take care of the scar after a breast augmentation. Here are the most general ones:
   1. Phase 1. Recent postoperative periodCleaning of the scar with antiseptics to avoid infection and prevention of dehydration through occlusion with paper tape to allow the skin to transpire.
   2. Phase 2. Final postoperative period: application of gels and moisturizers that will prevent the scar skin from drying out too much and remain elastic all the time.
5. Reviews and follow-up. As it is the incorporation of an external agent to the body and although surgery has advanced a lot reducing the risks, it is important to be clear that once a year it is advisable to have a check-up in the doctor’s office. The prostheses can break or form capsular contractures or seromas (an accumulation of serum in the subcutaneous tissue greater than the body can absorb) and in this sense it is important to check annually that everything is still in a safe condition for your health. At the Clínica Dra. Villaverde we are committed to annually review the implants of our patients, for your peace of mind.
6. Elevate the torso to sleep. As after any injury or surgery, it is important to raise the top of the bed a little. This will help the body to deflate the thoracic area. This is as easy as placing some cushions under the mattress at the top of the bed.
7. Leave the sport for a few weeks. You should always follow the recommendations of your plastic surgeon, but it is important to be clear that the chest area should not suffer any physical stress. Therefore, it is advisable to stop lifting weights or doing strength exercises during the first 3 months. This way we avoid unnecessary complications.
8. In the shade please. As with any scar we may have previously had, after a breast augmentation it is necessary to stay out of the sun for the first year. And if you do, because there is no other choice, use a suitable sunscreen.
9. Physical therapy sessions. Always follow your surgeon’s recommendations, since lymphatic drainage sessions are not the same as prosthesis massages. These massages are quite controversial, and are even contraindicated in the case of rough prostheses.
10. Always ask. The best recommendation I can give you is to ask any questions you may have before, during or after a breast augmentation. Your plastic surgeon is the right person to answer these questions.

Finally, I would like to point out -just in case it is your case- that a breast prosthesis does not interfere at all in the detection of breast cancer, and mammograms can be performed normally.

If you have any doubts or you already have clear that you want to have a breast augmentation come to the consultation or contact me at 684 148 979 .

-Dr.Villaverde