Safe, Speedy Recovery from Breast Augmentation Surgery

Breast augmentation surgery is not a simple elective procedure to recover from. Sometimes a full recovery means six months of special considerations. If this deters you from considering this surgery for yourself, there are ways to encourage a faster recovery process.

Recover begins as soon as your surgery is completed. Your chest is bandaged and you come out of anesthesia. This can be a risky time for your body, so doctors monitor your health for a few hours post-op to ensure that you come out of anesthesia safely and side effects such as bleeding or fever are kept to a minimum.

After breast augmentation surgery, there is a lot of risk for infection. Today's methods and techniques can safely eliminate many of the risks associate with the surgery in the past, but it is important to maintain your health through intravenous antibiotics post-surgery and oral antibiotics for a few days or a couple of weeks after you are discharged from the hospital. Pain medication may also be prescribed, or over the counter pain relievers may be suggested. You will also be instructed to take gentle sponge baths so as not to disturb the sutures but maintain a clean body.

It is also important to make arrangements for help during the first few days after your breast augmentation surgery because you will have to take special care not to over exert yourself through physical motion. It will be hard to do simple things like reach for high items in cabinets or lift heavy objects - anything over five pounds. A partner, friend, or family member is often willing to help women during this time. You can also opt for a recovery room in a medical spa to remain under observation and be comfortably taken care of. Either way, it is important to set aside bed rest time and create an environment that allows you to be less physically active.

How you sleep can also affect your recovery period. Make sure that you are sleeping in a way that alleviates pressure on your chest. Avoid sleeping on your stomach and be aware that any position that stretches or pulls on your breasts can have adverse effects on your recent surgery.

In the months after your surgery, you will still have to maintain a low physical activity level and continue to treat your new implants with care but the first few weeks is what puts you on a fast track to recovery. When you focus on recovery in the first 2-3 weeks after breast augmentation surgery, the rest of the recovery period will go more smoothly. It is important to take time off of work and get the help you'll need for chores and meals so that your body has time to rest and get the benefit of careful recovery.