Breast augmentation is a fairly common operation with a high level of satisfaction. The majority of women are pleased with their outcomes and have no regrets. Even yet, many patients are concerned about the recuperation process after breast implant surgery. If you don’t know enough about the operation, recuperation duration, and side effects, it might be tough to know what to expect. However, it is almost guaranteed that you may experience some adverse effects, particularly swelling.
Is it normal to have swelling after a breast augmentation?
It is very natural or normal to have swelling after breast augmentation surgery. For further comprehension, you may want to know what swelling is and how it occurs.
Tissue damage is caused by incisions made during any plastic surgery as well as tissue manipulation. Swelling is the body’s natural response to injury or stress, and it is necessary for tissue repair. So, swelling occurs when white blood cells, proteins, and other fluids congregate within damaged areas to aid in the fight against infection and healing. As you and your body will have all of these elements after the surgery you will swell.
Furthermore, the majority of the swelling occurs within the first 3–4 days of surgery, however mild swelling around the breasts might last for several weeks. Educating yourself on the healing process and taking proactive measures can help reduce inflammation and shorten your recovery time. Wearing a compression garment or surgical bra for at least a week, for example, can help with swelling and make you feel more comfortable.
Normally, the swelling you have will not bother you a lot and throughout time it will fade. Nevertheless, the recovery period may be longer and your swelling may be with you a couple days or weeks more. Especially, if you’ve had implants placed under your chest muscle, you should expect more swelling because this necessitates making an incision in the chest muscle as well as the breast tissue and skin, which means there’s more tissue to mend.
To sum up, your breasts will feel tight after surgery, and swelling will peak three to four days later. However, you may experience swelling for up to three months after surgery, and it may take up to six months for the implants to entirely settle in place and it is all-natural and normal.
How to reduce swelling after breast augmentation?
Although swelling is required for healing, excessive swelling can cause pain and discomfort. Nevertheless, it can be reduced to alleviate discomfort and aid in healing. Following surgery, you will be given advices and instructions on how to care for your incisions and reduce swelling by the surgeon. To ensure a rapid recovery and optimal results, it is best to follow all post-surgical instructions.
To minimize swelling, you may be encouraged to do the following steps:
- Apply clean ice packs to swollen tissues to help reduce swelling because applying clean ice packs to swollen tissues can help decrease swelling. As a result of the ice, the blood vessels constrict. To avoid further harm, apply ice packs to the tissue with caution; ice packs should only be applied to your breasts in 15-minute increments.
- Elevating the area of the body where surgery was performed, which in your case is the breast area, can help drain fluids and reduce swelling. Breast augmentation patients should sit erect rather than in a semi-reclined position.
- Massage sore areas gently to help circulate fluids and reduce swelling. Massaging the tissues after surgery should be done with utmost caution and only if your surgeon approves it.
- Because salt retains water in the muscles and tissues, it is best to limit your salt intake.
To summarize, you will almost surely have swelling after surgery, particularly in the first 3 or 4 days; nevertheless, this does not mean that you will have no control over it. You may be able to cope with the swelling problem by simply following the advice of your surgeon.
How long does swelling goes down after breast augmentation?
Some women suffer-normal swelling in the chest after breast augmentation surgery, which is totally normal because the breasts heal at various speeds.
Uneven swelling, on the other hand, could be an indication of something more serious, such as blood or fluid pooling at a wound in one of the breasts. If you are concerned or have much greater discomfort or swelling on one side of your chest than the other, consult your surgeon as soon as possible.
To sum up, most patients find that any swelling has subsided by three weeks after surgery. It is typical, however, to suffer minor swelling for up to three months. However, you should keep in mind that these are approximate numbers which means you do not necessarily heal in 3 or 4 weeks, it may take longer or shorter depending on your body condition and care.
References:
https://www.drmovassaghi.com/blog/breast-augmentation-recovery-time-faq/
