Why would my surgeon say no bra and then tell me to wear a bra?

Thank you for your question.  What you will find as you read the many answers your question has elicited is that each surgeon has their own post-operative protocols and that there is no universal standard when it comes to the use of compression garments in the immediate post-operative period.  In my practice, I recommend that my patients wear a light weight compression garment for the first 4 weeks to help reduce discomfort and swelling following a breast augmentation.  I also have my primary breast augmentation patients wear a light weight compression band to help facilitate the settling process that implants will undergo.  I would recommend discussing your concerns with your operating surgeon and I would encourage you to ask as many questions as necessary in order to truly understand your surgeons thought process and recommendations.  From what you describe, it seems as though your surgeon has placed you in a sports bra because of the discomfort that you were experiencing.  As far as the asymmetries between your breasts, you are so, so early on in the healing process that I would discourage you from making any judgements of your results this soon.  The appearance of your breasts will continue to change over the next 3-4 months as your muscle and skin continue to stretch to accommodate your new implants.  You may find that one side settles sooner than the other and this is common and most early asymmetries in size and shape are temporary and will sort out as your body heals.  I hope this helps and best of luck on your recovery!

I encourage you to discuss your concerns with your surgeon. It is important that you feel comfortable and confident in your recovery. Regarding the breasts being different sizes, this is normal early in recovery. Each breast heals at its own rate, and that includes the amount of swelling. You should notice them being closer in size as healing continues.

Every surgeon is different for their post op instructions and what type of garment , if any, to wear after breast surgery. I like to tailor to the needs of my patients, specifically for each individual. I generally tell my patients that it is not necessary for them to wear a bra immediately post-op, however if they feel more comfortable wearing one, then they absolutley can, as long as it does not have an underwire. It sounds like in your case, thats what your surgeon was doing. You voiced concerns you had about pain and discomfort, and his solution was for you to wear a sports bra, hoping it would help decrease swelling and in turn, decrease the pain you are expiriencing. 

Thank you for your question. I often recommend that patients find a sports bra that opens in the front and that is comfortable to wear. They can take breaks during the day and I also encourage breast massage after a week. It is important for your implants to move around and develop a comfortable space (or capsule) within the breast.  The bra provides compression to help manage swelling during the first few weeks after surgery.

The post-operative management following breast augmentation
varies from patient to patient and depends on a multitude of variables.No two patients are ever exactly alike and,
for this reason, treatment plans need to be individualized.In addition, patients frequently experience
changes in their status, which requires modification of their treatment plans.It’s
not unusual for patients to experience asymmetry and superior implant
displacement in the immediate post-operative period.In many cases, these problems are related to
swelling and improve with the passage of time.In the
immediate post-operative period, I suspect your surgeon was avoiding a bra to
allow your breasts to drop into normal position.Unfortunately, your swelling worsened and you
developed increasing pain and discomfort.For this reason, he switched to a compression bra to minimize
swelling.It’s
not unusual for surgeons to modify post-operative treatment plans when their
patient’s situation changes.It’s also
normal to have transient asymmetry in the post-operative period.For these reasons, it’s important to be
patient and maintain good communication with your surgeon.