Patients who want a greater size and contour to the breasts often turn to breast augmentation to achieve their desired look. Breast enhancement surgery can be performed in a number of ways by a board-certified and experienced plastic surgeon.
How Breast Augmentation is Performed
Breast implants can be placed in the breasts to provide a greater amount of augmentation. The increase in size depends on the size of the implants that are placed by the surgeon. The breasts can also be enhanced by the transfer of fat into the breasts. The fat is removed from another part of the body using liposuction to target extra and/or stubborn fat. The fat that is removed is then processed and purified before it is injected into the breasts.
Tips to Recover from Breast Augmentation Surgery
While the amount of recovery time for fat transfer can be anywhere from four to six weeks, the recovery from breast implant surgery might take a little more time since it is a major surgery. No matter which type of breast augmentation surgery is performed, here are some tips you should know before you make the final decision to have breast augmentation using breast implants.
- Don’t be Alone During the Initial Recovery Period – For the first few days after the surgery, you will be very tired as well as quite sore. It is highly recommended that you schedule a friend or family member to help you around the house during the first two or three days after the procedure. You do not want to do any kind of heavy lifting, and this can include lifting small children under twenty pounds that want to interact with you. Plus, household chores might not be easy to manage as bending and lifting will be discouraged by the doctor.
- Pain Management – It is quite common for patients to experience some amount of discomfort after undergoing breast augmentation. This discomfort can be felt as some tightness and pressure across the chest. In order to more easily cope with the pain, the surgeon will prescribe pain medication to help you make it through the early part of the recovery period in a more comfortable manner. Be sure and fill the prescriptions in advance as you will likely not feel like stopping by a pharmacy following the procedure.
- Plan on Getting Enough Rest and Sleep – While this might seem like the most obvious piece of advice after breast augmentation surgery, this is often not as easy as it sounds. This is another reason why it is important to have extra help when you return home after surgery. An extra hand at home will allow you to rest and relax and not have to worry about cooking dinner or taking care of the kids. Make sure you have a quiet area ready to go and it should contain a comfortable bed that you can rest in for the first few days after the surgery. The room should contain plenty of extra pillows so you can relax at a comfortable angle. You will need to walk immediately after the surgery in order to keep the blood properly flowing and lessen the chances of a blood clot. Walking after the surgery will also help you regain your strength, but you need to make sure and get plenty of rest in-between walking around your home.
- Eat Healthy and Drink Plenty of Water – Another way to prepare for breast augmentation recovery is stocking your kitchen with a good amount of healthy food. Drink plenty of water whether it is in a bottle bought at the store or straight from the tap in your kitchen. Eating healthy with easy to prepare food will keep your stomach full while not being overly complicated to prepare. During the first day after the surgery, you might feel nauseous, or you simply might not be all that hungry due to the anesthesia. Food that is light and soft to chew are your best bets for the first couple of days of recovery time. A healthy set of food choices will help to give your body extra energy and the strength it needs to heal properly. Don’t take the chance of becoming dehydrated during the recovery period so be certain to drink lots of water.
Before you make the final decision to have breast augmentation surgery, schedule a consultation appointment with your doctor of choice. The surgeon will discuss your reasons for wanting to enhance the breasts and will also share your various options for achieving the desired results. It is important for you to ask any questions you have in mind during this appointment. The doctor will address any questions, concerns, or fears you have about the procedure as well as the recovery period. The more information you have in advance of the placement of breast implants or the transfer of fat into the breasts, the better educated you will be when considering which type of breast augmentation is best for you.
