Many women who have undergone Breast Augmentation Incision Healing have concerns about how quickly their incisions will heal. This difficulty stems from the dizzying array of data that can be found online at the moment concerning the subject at hand. There is some useful information, such as what you’re about to read, but there is also a lot of incorrect or out-of-date data that can do more harm than good.

Breast augmentation incision healing

How Does One Feel After Having Breast Implants Inserted?

A breast augmentation is a surgical procedure that enlarges the breasts. Enhancement mammoplasty is another name for this procedure.

Breast augmentation surgeries typically involve the use of implants to artificially increase cup size. Another option is to use fat from another part of the body, though this is much less common.

Typical reasons why people undergo this procedure include:

refine one’s outward appearance
breast reconstruction surgery is performed after a mastectomy or other breast procedure.
breasts that are uneven after surgery or for other reasons can be adjusted.
enhance breast size after pregnancy or breastfeeding
Women who are transitioning from male to female or from male to nonbinary may also choose to have breast implants placed.

The average time to recover is between 6 and 8 weeks. Depending on your rate of recovery and general health, this could take significantly longer. Recovery times vary from patient to patient, so it’s important to discuss your specific situation with your surgeon.

What to Expect During the Breast Augmentation Recovery Process:

Breast Augmentation Recovery Time

In most cases, recovery lasts about 6 to 8 weeks. Here’s what the timeline may look like:

Immediately after surgery

For the most part, breast augmentation procedures are performed under general anesthesia. What this means is that you will be unconscious throughout the process.

As soon as the procedure is over, you’ll be moved to a recovery area. A group of doctors and nurses will carefully watch you as you gradually regain consciousness. Aching muscles and a sluggish mind are to be expected.

Tightness or soreness in the chest muscles may develop if the implants were placed under the pectoral muscle. Muscle pain typically lessens with stretching and relaxation.

Hours after surgery

You will feel less achy and sleepy after some time has passed.

If you’ve been there for a while, you can probably go home, but you’ll need a ride.

Before you go home, your doctor will bandage or bra your breasts. This will help keep your breasts in place while you heal. If you’ve had incisions made, your surgeon will go over aftercare instructions with you.

3 to 5 days

Most of your suffering is likely to occur in the first few days. Medications to alleviate your pain have been prescribed by your doctor.

Minimal bleeding is possible at the incision sites. The situation is typical. However, consult your surgeon if you experience any bleeding that worries you.

1 week

By the time you’ve reached a week out, you might find that over-the-counter pain relievers are effective in reducing the intensity of the discomfort.

After the first week, you should feel significantly less pain.

Once you’ve gotten the all-clear from your surgeon, you can begin resuming mild activities.

Next few weeks

During this time, you’ll still have some soreness and swelling. But it should slowly get better.

If you have a physically demanding job, you’ll need to be out of work for 3 weeks or more. You’ll also need to avoid heavy lifting and intense physical activities, like running.

2 months

After about 2 months, you should be nearing full recovery, though this depends on how well your body heals.

Your doctor will let you know if you can resume normal activities.

Possible complications

Risks associated with breast augmentation surgery are similar to those associated with other surgical procedures.

Scarring, infection, and bleeding issues, such as blood loss, are all potential outcomes of general surgical procedures. Blood clots and shock are two other potential complications.

Allergic reactions to anesthetics are extremely unusual but are possible.

Breast augmentation has its own unique risks, such as:

Breasts that are not symmetrical because of scarring.
Experiencing severe discomfort in the breasts
Unwanted numbness in the breasts or unsatisfactory aesthetic results
Breast or nipple morphology shifts can be accompanied by altered sensations.
infected sores in the breasts
the merging of the breasts (symmastia)
Fluid accumulation under the skin, wrinkling of the skin over the implant, or detection of the implant through the skin are all indications of a misplaced implant (seroma)
irritation and scarring around the implant (capsular contracture)
Breastfeeding difficulties due to implant rupture
Anaplastic large cell lymphoma associated with breast implants
Implant-Related Illness
Some of these complications can be cured by undergoing surgery to remove or replace the implants.

The typical lifespan of a breast implant is 10 years.

Types of breast augmentation surgery

There are two main kinds of breast augmentation:

• Cosmetic breast implants. A silicone or saline implant is inserted behind the breast tissue or below the pectoralis, or pushup, muscle.
• Reconstructive surgery. If your breasts were removed in another surgery, breast implants or fat tissue from another part of the body can be used to rebuild them.

Breast augmentation can be combined with a breast lift, or mastopexy. This surgery changes the shape of your breasts, but it doesn’t alter the size.

Tips for a healthy recovery

Successful breast augmentation depends on how well you heal. To increase the chances of a smooth recovery, you can:

• Wear recovery bras. Follow your doctor’s instructions. Recovery bras provide support and manage pain and swelling.
• Care for your incisions. Depending on your surgeon’s preference, you may have to wear a bandage or apply ointment. Always follow the directions.
• Take your medication. During the first week, pain medication will help you feel more comfortable. If your doctor prescribed antibiotics, take the entire course.
• Prepare your home before surgery. Before the procedure, finish any housework and meal prep. You’ll need to rest when you’re back home in recovery.
• Wear loose clothes. Loose-fitting, breathable clothes will help you feel more comfortable.
• Avoid intense activity. Strenuous movement can delay the healing process.
• Eat nutritious foods. A healthy diet will help your body recover. Consume lots of lean protein, fruits, and vegetables.

How to find a surgeon

The most important part of preparing for breast augmentation is choosing the right surgeon. This ensures your safety and overall success of the surgery.

When selecting a surgeon, look for:

• Board certification. Pick a plastic surgeon who’s certified by a board under the American Board of Medical Specialties, or more specifically, the American Board of Plastic Surgery. The surgeon should specialize in breast augmentation.
• Cost. Be cautious of extremely inexpensive options. While budget and cost certainly matter, it’s best to prioritize your safety and comfort.
• Patient results. Read testimonials from people who’ve had the procedure. Look at before and after photos.
• Customer service. Take note of how the surgeon and staff make you feel during the consultation.

Visit the American Society of Plastic Surgeons website to find a board-certified plastic surgeon near you.

Takeaway

Commonly, 6-8 weeks are needed for full recovery after breast augmentation. If you get sick or your implant leaks, it could take a lot longer.

Be sure to comply with your doctor’s orders for the best possible outcome from surgery. Follow the aftercare instructions carefully, including wearing the recovery bra. Get enough sleep and eat well to keep yourself healthy. You should feel completely better and ready to go back to your regular routine in about 8 weeks.

How Long Do Breast Implants Last?

What’s the average duration?

Although breast implants don’t actually expire, they aren’t guaranteed to last a lifetime. The average saline or silicone implants may last anywhere from 10 to 20 years.

However, many are removed sooner due to complications or cosmetic concerns. Up to 20 percent of people have their implants removed or replaced within 8 to 10 years.

Wondering if it’s time to have yours replaced? Read on to find out symptoms to watch for, what you can expect from removal, and more.

Signs that replacement or removal is necessary

The following complications may necessitate breast implant removal.

Hardening

Many peopleTrusted Source develop capsular contracture, or hardened scar tissue around one or both implants.

This can also cause tightness, pain, tenderness, and abnormal cosmetic changes to the breast.

In some cases, hardening may happen more than once to the same breast.

Saline rupture (leakage and deflation)

If a saline breast implant develops a leak in its outer shell, it will deflate like a balloon.

Your body will absorb the saline that has leaked out of your implant. This leak may occur suddenly or gradually over the course of several days.

It could be some time before the deflation is noticeable, depending on how much saline has leaked out. One of your breasts will look very different from the other after you’ve lost its size and shape from the disease.

There is an extremely low incidence of breast implant ruptures.

Initially Reliable, but Declining Over Time Due to Increasing Danger

Silicone rupture (silent rupture)

Silicone implants can also rupture.

When compared to saline, silicone gel is quite thick. When a silicone implant breaks, the gel usually stays within the implant or the scar tissue around it.

This means that many cases of ruptured silicone implants go unreported. This is why a silicone leak can occur without anyone noticing.

However, the vast majority of people don’t have any symptoms at all. These are some of the symptoms that may be present:

reduced breast size
breasts that look uneven and hard, hurt or are tender, or both
Alterations in Sensation: Tingling, Swelling, Numbness, and Burning
It is unclear what the actual rate of silicone rupture is, but estimates place it between 2% and 12%.
Consistently Dependable.

Implants can rupture immediately, after a few years, or even after ten years or more in some cases.

Rippling and palpability

Rippling occurs when the implant develops wrinkles or ripples. Palpability refers to the ability to feel these ripples when you touch your breast. In some cases, these changes can also be seen through the skin.

If you see or feel wrinkling in your implant, you may want to consider replacing or removing it.

Change in position

Breast implants don’t prevent your breasts from sagging as you age. Gravity is still going to take its toll. Weight gain and loss can also cause stretching and sagging of the breasts.

You may also notice that one breast hangs lower than the other, or that your nipples point in different directions than before.

If you’re bothered by these changes, getting a breast lift or implant replacement may help return your breasts to their previous appearance.

What to expect with implant removal

Any qualified plastic surgeon can remove your breast implants. It doesn’t need to be the same surgeon who did your first surgery.

During an initial consultation, the surgeon you choose will evaluate the state of your current implants and discuss your surgical options.

Depending on your preferences, your surgeon can do any of the following:

• implant removal alone
• implant removal and breast lift
• removal of hardened or lumpy tissue
• implant replacement with or without breast lift

Sometimes, implant removal alone can lead to cosmetic abnormalities. This includes:

• deflation
• sagging
• dimpling
• asymmetry

Because of this, your doctor may recommend replacing your implants with implants of a different size or shape.

Depending on the specifics of your procedure, you may be able to return home the day of your surgery. Recovery time differs for everyone.

Many people are able to resume working in about five days, but it’ll be about six weeks until you can resume strenuous activities like exercising and lifting.

Following all postoperative instructions can help improve your healing time and prevent infection.

What to expect with implant replacement

Implant replacement is a procedure in which your doctor switches out your implants for a newer model. Whether you stick to the same type, size, and shape is up to you,

The procedure may also be combined with a breast lift or scar tissue removal.

The cost of implant replacement is higher than that of implant removal. You’ll need to pay for the initial removal, replacement implants, and any related procedures.

Depending on your procedure package and geographic location, your overall out-of-pocket cost may be anywhere from $2,500 to $7,000.

How to increase implant longevity

One of the most commonlyTrusted Source cited reasons for removal is unhappiness with the implant size and shape.

It’s natural for tastes to change over the course of a lifetime. One of the best ways to make your implants last is to pick a size and shape that you feel like you can live with for 10 to 20 years.

In other cases, local complications are to blame. Ruptures and deflations, for example, oftenTrusted Source result from normal wear and tear or surgical error.

For the best outcomes:

• Choose your surgeon carefully.
• Follow all postoperative instructions.
• Get regular MRIs to check for silicone ruptures.

The bottom line

Implants aren’t guaranteed to last a lifetime. You may need to have them removed or replaced for a variety of reasons.

The best way to ensure their longevity is to work with a board-certified plastic surgeon and follow all postoperative instructions.