After Your Breast Augmentation

Since I want you to remain drowsy and comfortable the evening of your surgery, take one pain capsule immediately on arriving at home. Pain medication is best taken with a small amount of food and not on an empty stomach since nausea may occasionally occur. Make yourself comfortable, not necessarily in bed, a couch or comfortable chair is fine. You will continue to be drowsy and will awaken intermittently during the evening. Use the pain medication every 4-6 hours as necessary to remain comfortable.

You'll be much less anxious if you understand your postop instructions before the day of surgery
Do not try to eat any heavy foods the evening of surgery - liquids or light foods are preferable, assuming normal diet the next morning.

Should you experience any nausea the evening of surgery, drink small amounts of liquids only - no food until morning. Anti-nausea medications are generally not very effective, and any nausea experienced from the medications used in surgery should be gone the next morning.

Bandages placed at the time of surgery over your incisions may be removed the next morning. Your incisions require no special care. All stitches are placed beneath the skin and will reabsorb. If steri-strips are in place, do not remove for 5-7 days. You may shower and wet the incisions the morning after surgery. Do not soak the incisions.

We will give you a list of instructions before you return home
At Dr. Pino's recommendation, you will most likely be able to return to work within a few days, although for at least a couple of weeks you should avoid any strenuous activities that could raise your pulse and blood pressure.

If you see redness spreading one half inch or more from the incision area or any drainage from the incisions, notify me. Slight drainage for 24 hours is normal.

If you are given a prescription for antibiotics following surgery, take the prescription until all the antibiotics are completed.

Soreness decreases rapidly if you begin normal activity. Postoperative discomfort is most marked during the first 24 hours and regresses rapidly thereafter. Resumption of normal activities, for example, lifting the arms to comb the hair speeds the recovery process and reduces the pain more rapidly. Immobility tends to cause continued discomfort and increased muscle spasms. The only limitation to activity is if you feel significant pain. Discomfort is normal with motion initially, and there is nothing which can be harmed by normal activity.

Your breasts will initially seem larger and tight due to fluid and swelling
Normally following this procedure, a small amount of fluid will accumulate within the pockets surrounding the breast implant. You may be able to feel or hear a slight slushing of the fluid as you move your implants. This fluid is reabsorbed by your body over a period of two to three weeks and is normal.

Massive accumulation of fluid or blood within the pocket occurs very rarely (approximately 2% of the time). Should this occur, your breasts would become extremely large, tight and painful, and you should notify us immediately.

During the first weeks you must wear the special bra we will provide you. It is usually best to wait at least two to three weeks following surgery and try a number of different brands and shapes of bra cups in order to find one which is comfortable and fits best.

In the first few weeks following your procedure, your breasts may appear slightly full in the upper portions, with a slight outward (convex) curvature to the upper portions of the breasts. This fullness regresses as the lower portion of the breast envelope stretches from the weight and gravitational effect on the implant over time. As the stretching in the lower portion of the breast is complete (up to six months), the upper pole profile of the breast becomes straight or slightly concave.

Since discomfort from this procedure diminishes rapidly, pain medication should be necessary for a maximum of three to five days. Most patients usually require pain medications for only 24-48 hours.

Should you develop any of the following signs or symptoms, please call our office:

(a) Elevations of temperature to or above 38 Centigrade or l0l Fahrenheit degrees,
(b) Extreme swelling or tenderness in either breast,
(c) Any prolonged or significant bleeding from incision lines (slight drainage for 48 hours is normal).
(d) Redness along the incision lines or elevation of temperature in the breasts.

A small amount of bruising may normally occur in the armpit area or beneath the breast, and may appear one to four days following your surgery. If bruising occurs, it subsides in one to two weeks. If you should have any other questions or problems, please contact my office.

"While we make every effort to achieve the best surgical result, we want your experience to be safe and pleasant" Ronald Pino, MD