Having large breasts is tough and can cause serious uncomfort for your back and neck. Once you have had your breast reduction, it feels quite literally that there has been a weight lifted off your shoulders. This can be a lengthy process up to the surgery so it’s essential that you prepare yourself for the just as important process of recovery. Studies suggest that the correct aftercare tips can help speed up your recovery whilst minimising complications on the way as this will also affect how your breasts look over time.
How To Prepare Before Surgery:
Preparing for breast reduction surgery or having breast implant removal surgery is just as important as the aftercare. This can affect how the surgery goes and minimise complications. If you have any medical conditions or complications, please tell us before so that we can take the correct measures to perform the surgery correctly.
Using tobacco can cause blood clotting and lead to a long recovery time. It’s strongly recommended that you don’t use or surround yourself with tobacco or smoke for at least a month before surgery and two weeks after. Surgeons will perform a urine test on the day to check for byproducts and will cancel your surgery on any traces.
If you use any blood thinners like aspirin and Ibuprofen then it’s recommended that you stop taking these medications 2 weeks before the surgery and at least two days after surgery as this can cause excess bleeding.
Arrange for a support person to be ready to help you with writing prescriptions, receive instructions for aftercare and to also drive you home from your surgery.
Taking time off work is vital as you need as much rest as possible without straining yourself with any manual tasks which will help with recovery.
Tips For After Breast Reduction Surgery
Rest Whilst You Are Recovering
- After your surgery your doctor will get you to rest, the more rest you can do in the first two weeks will give you a better advantage of recovering quicker with no complications. This means that you should not do any strenuous exercise for at least two weeks.
A great tip is to have meals prepared to go in the microwave and to also put anything heavy in smaller containers to reduce the weight as this can cause damage to your wounds.
Where A Supportive Bra
- Wear Supportive Bras whilst you recover – A way to keep the swelling down is to use a compression bra. At first you will have a supportive gauze around you so it’s important to either get a wireless sports bra or a comfortable compression garment and wear it around the clock for the first few weeks of recovery to help reduce swelling, even in bed.
Having a wired bra will induce chafing and increase recovery time so it’s best to get recommendations from your surgeon for best practices.
Keep your Posture
- Reclining in the best position can also help to keep your swelling down. It is recommended that you keep your chest as elevated as possible for the first 6 weeks after surgery. It is recommended that you keep a few pillows spare and wedge these under you so that you are not lying flat on your back or sleeping on your side.
- When you are sitting down it is also important to keep your chest up in a recliner or sitting straight in a chair.
Don’t Ignore Pain Or Nausea
- It’s very important to be sure what to expect whilst recovering from breast reduction surgery. Including knowing the side effects. If you are suffering from nausea or pain then you must consult your doctor as well as your surgeon as this may need extra work to help reduce these symptoms. Due to there being early recovery complications such as a hematoma.
Drink Plenty Of Fluids & Eat Healthy Foods.
- Drinking plenty of water and eating healthy food is vital to a speedy recovery. Filling yourself with the right nutrients for recovery is just as important as everything else. This can help to reduce swelling and aid recovery.
If you are unsure on what fluids and food to eat then you can consult with your doctor and they will advise moving forward.
All in all it’s extremely important to have the right mind going into the surgery and taking all precautions before going in for your beast reduction. This is just as important as the aftercare as all of these tips can help to reduce swelling, reduce complications as well as to help with the overall look after recovery.