Post Operative Advice Sheet - Breast Augmentation

1. You should arrange for someone to drive you home from hospital and to stay with you for the first night following your discharge from hospital.
2. You will experience mild to moderate discomfort after your breast augmentation and it is recommended that you take one or two pain relieving tablets (such as Paracetamol) on a regular basis for the first week or so.  DO NOT TAKE ASPIRIN OR ANY PRODUCTS CONTAINING ASPIRIN as this may prolong or cause bleeding in the early post operative period.
3. Your breasts will be swollen and tender and there may be some bruising initially, though this should settle by two weeks.
4. It is important to rest as much as possible for the first three or four days after surgery and limit your arm movement for the first week or so to ensure that the implants settle down and adhere to the surrounding tissue.
5. I should have advised you to purchase a sports bra beforehand and it is recommended that you wear this regularly throughout the day in order to support you augmented breasts.  There is no need to wear the bra at night, but you may do so if you find it more comfortable.  After six weeks of wearing a sports bra, you may start wearing underwired bras again.
6. You should avoid getting the wounds or dressings wet for the first week.
7. For your surgery, buried dissolvable stitches have been used.  These normally dissolve spontaneously in the first four to eight weeks, so there are no sutures to be removed.
8. At one week post operatively you will be seen by the nurse in the Dressing Clinic who will remove the dressing and inspect your wound.  If the wound is healing nicely at this stage you may recommence bathing then.
9. It is very important in the early period after your operation that you move around your home as much as possible, setting yourself a daily walking programme and not lying in bed for protracted periods, however, you should abstain from all exercise from for at least three weeks. After a good week of rest you may commence gently arm movements and arm exercises and by one to two weeks post operatively you should be ready to recommence light household duties.  By one month post operatively you may recommence light gym work, returning to full normal activities by six weeks.
10. Following breast augmentation people feel confident to return to driving at various time periods.  You should refrain from driving for the first three days.  After this you may recommence driving once you feel confident to undertake an emergency stop.  Until you feel confident to do this you should refrain from driving.
11. I would have advised that it is important to stop smoking prior to your operation in order to reduce the risks of complications.  Once your wound has healed it is safe to recommence smoking if you wish to do so.  You should however, avoid smoking for the first two weeks post operatively.
12. Following the breast augmentation, the type of job that you do determines when you can return to work.  If you mainly confined to deskwork, you may feel able to return to work after two weeks.  More physical occupations may require four weeks of recuperation before you feel able to return to work.
13. The scar will take time to mature.  Over the first six weeks your scar will become stronger and stronger and by week six it will be as strong as it will ever be.  During those first six weeks the scar will pretty much look after itself.  By week six you should commence moisturising and massaging this scar with E45 cream and rubbing quite vigorously, the aim being to soften the scar and speed up final scar maturation.   The delicate scar tissue is at greater risk of sunburn if exposed to the sun, therefore, you are advised to avoid sun exposure to any scar tissue for the first six weeks of healing, after this if the area is to be exposed to sunlight you should apply sun  protection factor 15 or greater sun block to exposed scar tissue.
14. Though most people experience uneventful post operative recovery, if you develop any of the following you should contact the ward on the telephone number printed below:
• Temperature greater than 38.5°
• Severe pain not alleviated by simple painkillers
• Fresh bleeding from the wound, other than a minor ooze
• Any wound discharge after 48 hours
• Sudden rapid enlargement of one or other breast