A Breast lift surgery, medically known as Mastopexy, is one of the most popular cosmetic surgeries for women. It essentially makes your breasts look lifted and more shapely. It is ideal for women over 40’s, new mums, those with ptotic breasts and anyone who has lost a lot of weight. Dr Carmen Munteanu is a Breast Lift expert and Specialist Plastic Surgeon in Melbourne. Here is an article about what to expect. A Breast Lift Timeline and her best Tips for recovery after breast lift.
Your outcome of the breast lift surgery is not only based on the experience and expertise of the surgeon but also on how good you are at following the post-surgical instructions. It is necessary to pamper yourself with the ultimate care for the first six weeks following the surgery if you wish to achieve great results.
Dr Carmen and her team will guide you thoroughly in terms of what you should eat & drink, your sleep schedule, how much activity you should do, medications and caring for your incisions. Follow the instructions carefully and you will get an optimal result.
Here is a brief overview of the post-surgery timeline:
Most of Dr Carmen’s patients can go home after a 1 or 2 night stay in hospital. You will need a responsible person to drive you home as you may feel quite numb. Moreover, you may still be feeling the after-effects of anaesthesia. Before coming in for the surgery, arrange for someone to drive you home ahead of time. On the first day, your breasts will be covered in post-op bandages and a surgical bra. In some cases, small drainage tubes will be attached near the incisions which will get rid of excess fluid in your body. All you have to do during the first day is rest.
You may experience mild to moderate discomfort during the first three days of the surgery. Any pain will be most pronounced during these days. You might feel a bit nauseous. Don’t worry as it is a common side effect of anesthesia. Dr Carmen will ask you to come in for a follow-up visit where your drainage tubes and bandages will be removed. Continue wearing your compression bra. Take a sponge bath during the first three days and skip the shower.
The discomfort should subside significantly as soon as you reach the end of week one. You will able to move a bit around the house. Avoid bending over, lifting heavy weights and raising your arm above the head. It is generally advised to take around two weeks off from work but you can sometimes resume working after discussion with Dr Carmen if your work is not physically intensive. You can start walking lightly around the house.
Your discomfort should be gone by week two. Strenuous activities are still prohibited. Any stitches that are not self-dissolving will be removed by the end of week 2. Your incision will begin to heal during this time. You can resume your regular showering routine. Avoid bathing, swimming pools and saunas as they can still lead to infection.
You will begin to feel like yourself and will be able to resume most of your activities. Avoid Lifting weights and highly intensive sports that put stress on the chest area. You can resume bathing at this point as your incision sites should be fully healed. Most of the swelling will be gone by around month.
You can stop wearing your compression bra. Yayyy! It’s time to finally wear all those stunning bras you have been planning to wear. You can return to your normal activities. Sleep on your side if you wish to. You can start using scar minimisation treatments such as creams, massage oils and silicone tapes with Dr Carmen’s recommendation. Always wear sunscreen while going out as it can help prevent your scars from darkening.
Now that you know more about the recovery period. Here is a list of instructions you need to follow closely to speed up your recovery.
You need to arrange for a friend/family member or someone responsible to drive you home on the day of your breast lift surgery. You will also need someone to help you with the household chores, make your meals and help with the kids (if you have any) for the first few days after the surgery. Prepare your recovery room in advance; make a comfortable sleeping space, have a table beside your bed with all the necessities and make sure that everything is easily accessible within arm’s reach.
Go shopping and buy all the groceries you will need for the following month or two after the surgery. It is not fun to run around buying household supplies and food items when you are in the healing phase. So, stock up and you will be good to go. Buy some new comfy clothes too.
Get any medical tests done required by your surgeon so that you are not worrying on the last few days gathering any lab reports.
First things first, you need to consume a healthy diet before and after the surgery. Do not eat sodium-rich foods as they can worsen the swelling. Eat things that are rich in fibre and drink lots of water. Do meal prep for a week or two so that you don’t worry about cooking after the surgery. Good nutrition helps wound healing. Poor nutrition encourages wound breakdowns.
Both smoking and alcohol can significantly interfere with your healing process and cause bruising. Hence, you will be asked to quit smoking and alcohol before and after the surgery for as long as possible. Smoking reduces blood supply to your wounds and delays healing. This can result in complications like tissue death, dehiscence and poor quality scar outcomes. Don’t smoke!
Start moving gently and aim to take short walks around your home. It is very important and helps to prevent blood clotting. Do not opt for strenuous exercising, simply walk lightly around your house in short bursts.
Avoid sleeping on your side or stomach as it will put a strain on your breasts and may impact your incisions. Aim to sleep on your back with a few pillows propped up underneath your head. Good sleep is one of the most important aspects of effective healing.
Have a shower the day before your surgery to clean and scrub the surgery site really well. This may help prevent infections. For the first few days, you won’t be able to shower. Hence, you’ll need a sponge bath. After three days, you can start showering but do not aim the water directly at your breasts. Do not have a bath for around a month as it could lead to infection.
Do not, I repeat do not skip on taking your medications. You will be prescribed pain killers as well as antibiotics. Take them regularly if you don’t wish to experience pain and unwanted infections. Take the course of pain killers and take them regularly as directed – before any pain begins to worsen.
Dr Carmen will ask you to come in for two to three follow-up visits. Never get lazy and skip your appointments as it can lead to problems. Dr Carmen and her team will make sure that there are no signs of infections or complications and that you are recovering at a normal rate.
After the four to six weeks mark, you can start with your scar removal measures. Most likely, your surgeon will get you started on the silicone tapes as well as ointments. Avoid excessive sun exposure, always wear an SPF while going out. Sun can darken your scars.