Breast Augmentation: Q&A

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How Soon After Breast Augmentation Can I Resume Activities?

How soon after Breast Augmentation can I start working or going to the beach? I'm planning to do my surgery during summertime.

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13 Doctor Answers | Asked by Marissa155 in New York City, New York

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Activity following breast augmentation

Hello, Each surgeon has their own post operative preference. In general post operative restrictions are designed to prevent certain complications and each category has a different time frame: Day 1-7 Hematoma. Keeping a low blood pressure and heart rate may prevent blood vessels which have been sealed from opening up. Infection. Avoiding submerging your incisions in water early will prevent possible infection Day 8-14 Swelling: Excessive... more

Light Exercise Can Be Resumed At 2 Weeks & Strenuous Physical Activity Can Be Resumed at 6 Weeks

Concerns about the recovery period are very common amongst patients considering breast augmentation surgery. It’s important to realize that every patient’s situation is unique. Some patients have desk jobs, while others have jobs that involve heavy lifting. Some patients have children, while others have significant support systems available to them. Some patients have more extensive procedures, while some patients have a low pain tolerance. All of these factors... more

2 weeks for full exercise after breast augmentation

We typically perform surgery in the middle of the week, and patients return to work on Monday. We allow resumption of full activity after 2 weeks. Our only suggestions is that after two weeks restart your exercise program slowly. We always have to tell our runners not to do a big run on day 15, but start slowly.

Activity After Breast Augmentation

Post operative guidelines vary greatly among surgeons as to when activity may begin following breast augmentation. This is based primarily on their training and type of breast augmentation. Most patients do extremely well with a "rapid recovery" technique. This involves early mobility following surgery, muscle stretching, and early activity with anti-inflammatory pain medication only. For most of my patients, they have been able to resume normal daily activities,... more

Recovery after breast implants

Recovery can vary from patient to patient. I usually allow my patients to return to work in about a week. Light aerobic exercise in 3-4 weeks and heavy lifting and strenous workouts in 6-8 weeks.

Steven Wallach, MD

12 reviews

Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Sun exposure and weight lifting after breast augmentation.

You can start going to the beach within 3 weeks but you should avoid sun exposure with a high spf sunblock or sunscreen with a spf of 30. Acitivities are somewhat limited for 3 weeks wheeby they began to slowily provide increasing resistance over the ensuing months.

Otto Joseph Placik, MD

32 reviews

Chicago Plastic Surgeon

Most return to work one week after augmentation

Almost all of our patients will return to work within a week after breast augmentation whether the implant is submuscular or subglandular. Unless your job involves lifting you shouldn't have a problem with it. You may experience some soreness however it is unlikely that the activity of daily living will negatively impact your result, and really most can't afford to take any more time away. We place our patients is a snug conforming surgical bra and upper breast wrap which we keep inplace... more

Resume activities 1-7 days after Breast Augmentation

That depends somewhat on the exact procedure done and the exact nature of your work or the activities you plan to do. It also depends a lot on the method of doing the surgery. The only restriction we place is no vigorous activity for about 4-5 days and no jogging, diving or jumping into water, or other activity that markedly puts sideways pressure on the breasts for about a month. We also do not want you driving as long as you are on strong anti-pain medication, but most of our patients are... more

You can usually go back to daily living as soon as you feel up to it

With either sub muscular or sub mammary breast implants, you can resume your normal life activities when ever you feel up to it. That is usually 1-3 days. It is, however, important that you avoid heavy lifting, straining, or getting your pulse or blood pressure elevated for 2 weeks to minimize the possibility of developing a hematoma, a blood clot around the implant. After 2 weeks you can resume normal exercise and lifting but should avoid trauma to your breast for 6-8 weeks. After that... more

No heart rate or BP elevations for 2 weeks

I ask all of my patients to avoid all activities that increase heart rate and BP to exercise levels for 2 weeks after surgery. This minimizes the risk of a delayed hematoma. I also restrict pec activities for 8 weeks until the pocket around the implant is mature. Your surgeon will have their own thoughts on this and will want you to follow them carefully.

Different activities take different amounts of time to resume

The first question is where the implant is placed..above or below the muscle? I like my active patients to resume some activity as soon as possible. Walking , a treadmill or a stair master are all great to begin within a few days. Classes for fitness take a little longer due to the bouncing afffect which can be uncomfortable. Typically the full recovery with no restrictions is six to eight weeks. If the implant is under the muscle then no peck or lat activity for the full six weeks.... more

Talmage J. Raine, MD

5 reviews

Chicago Plastic Surgeon

It depends on the details....

Hi there- The answer to your question is a bit complicated, as it will depend on the details of the surgery decided on between you and the surgeon you select... Generally, restriction of upper body activity is very short with modern techniques for breast augmentation, but will be a bit longer if your implants are placed under your muscle than above, and if a simultaneous breast lift or reshaping is undertaken as well. Individual surgeon preferences will also play a role, so the best thing to do more

Variable recovery

Each surgeon has his or her own recovery regimen and this is also dependent on the technique of the surgery; subglandular technique general offer quicker recovery than submuscular. Most tell you to rest the arms for 4-7 days and not reseume strenuous or physical activity for 3 weers but this is certainly not uniforn. Most canr esume athletic activities in 4-6 weeks or even sooner but check with your specifc doctor and follow his or her instructions..