What Could Happen if You Don't Take It Easy After Your Breast Augmentation Like You're Supposed To? (photo)

Thank you for your question.  Generally speaking, patient are advised to 'take it easy' after surgery in the hopes of avoiding a post-operative complication.  These complications can include implant malposition, bleeding, hematoma formation, seroma formation, capsule formation, breaking of internal sutures, and additional and/or heightened discomfort.  For these reasons I do recommend that my patients refrain from any exercising and/or heavy lifting for four weeks after surgery.  With that said, it is impossible for patients to avoid all necessary daily activities and the expectation that patients avoid carrying all weight is nearly impossible.  I recommend that patients avoid lifting objects more than 15-20 lbs and when it comes to house cleaning, try to take it slow and to avoid exerting yourself.  It may take longer to clean a room but it will help to promote the best cosmetic result.  For any concerns that you might have I would recommend following up with your operating surgeon.  Your surgeon is the most familiar with your specific case and would be best qualified to recommend or restrict certain activities for you.  I hope you find this helpful and best of luck!

Well all manner of things can happen, and none of them are good.  You have invested energy, time and money in your breast augmentation, you should protect it by listening to your doctor.  It is your body you can hurt, so why take that risk.  The possible problems are hematoma requiring surgery, implant malposition requiring surgery, implant exposure requiring explantation, capsular contracture which can be a very difficult problem to correct.  

Each surgeon has his or her own unique post operative recommendations in order to help you to achieve the best possible outcome from your surgery.  If you do not adhere to the physical restrictions, you increase your risk of complications such as hematoma, wound healing complications or shifting of the implant.  Do your best to follow your surgeons recommendations in order to heal optimally. 

Thank you for your question. Several possible complications become more likely if you engage in vigorous activity too soon after surgery. Implants can displace; you may experience wound breakdown; you also have the possibility of developing a hematoma or a seroma. If it at all possible, you should follow the instructions of your surgeon.

The appearance of your scars is quite normal for early on. The "puckeirng/pulling" that you describe is also a completely normal early appearance. It is related to the early healing process with formation of lymphatic and vascular channels beneath and across the scar that can feel like strings. They will disappear with time. Gentle massage can be helpful.You certainly did not cause any problem by being active early!You should be using a scar treatment topical application. Many silicone-based choices are available and helpful to improve the scar appearance over time. We use a product called Biocorneum.

If you don't take it easy after breast augmentation, you are more likely to have complications. Hematoma can occur which is bleeding inside the breast implant pocket. This would require a trip back to the operating room to stop the bleeding and remove blood clots. Implant displacement or tearing of the muscle can occur and you may then have the implant shifted too far to the side or too far down (bottoming out). Tears in the incision can also occur with too much activity. It's best to be safe than sorry. 

Hi & thank you for your question.It is best to follow your surgeons recovery instructions and take it easy. Your body needs time to heal and recover.Complications can occur from strenuous activity so soon after surgery.Take the time needed so you have the best possible result. Best of luck.

"Thank you for your question. You definitely want to follow your own surgeon's post-op activity instructions. This is a general guide I give to my patients as to the recoveryWeek 1) Discomfort and tightness level progressively decreases with each day. Swelling decreases a great deal after one week. Most people return to work in some capacity.Week 2) Unlikely to need any narcotic support except maybe at night. Swelling and tightness continues to improve compared to week 1Weeks 3-6) May need tylenol or ibuprofen for intermittent discomfort. Swelling completely resolved. Tightness may continue as the implants over an additional few months into their final position. As far as activity, here is a safe guide:1) No heavy lifting or strenuous activity for 6 weeks.2) Resume walking at a leisurely pace right after surgery (e.g. 2 mph)3) At 2 weeks, you can walk 2 miles at 2mph4) At 3 weeks, you can walk 3 miles at 3mph5) At 4 weeks, you can walk 4 miles at 4mph6) At 5 weeks, you can jog 5 miles at 5mph7) At 6 weeks, you can resume all activities, but listen to your body and use discomfort or tightness as a guide so you don't over do it. So although the above is a guide, it doesn't mean you will suffer bad consequences if you don't follow everything. It just means that the risk of something unexpected happening does increase. I would continue to follow up with your plastic surgeon and as well as their instructions.

Surgeons have post-operative guidelines for breast augmentation patients for a reason - to help ensure you get the best results possible from surgery. Every surgeon has his/her own recovery guidelines and I highly recommend you follow yours as closely as possible, or ask your surgeon directly if you need to do something outside of the guidelines. After surgery your body has gone through a lot and needs time to heal properly. If you engage in activities that are too strenuous and get your heart rate up, you run the risk of bleeding, hematoma, excessive swelling or implant displacement, among other things. I know you may get bored of taking it easy or need to do things around the house, but please try to be patient and ask other friends or family to help you while you are recovering. You just spent the money and time to undergo breast augmentation, let your body heal so you have the results you have been dreaming of!

There’s no question that failure to follow instructions
following breast augmentation can lead to significant complications. Just about
any complication seen following this procedure can occur as a result of failure
to follow these directions.

It’s especially important to follow directions regarding
physical activity after breast augmentation. We generally recommend not
resuming strenuous activity or heavy lifting for at least six to eight weeks
following surgery. These recommendations are always individualized based on the
specifics of the patient’s procedure.

Failure to follow post-operative instructions can result
in significant complications. In particular, we worry about bleeding, implant
displacement and wound healing problems. Postoperative bleeding can cause
secondary problems as well, including capsular contracture with resultant pain,
implant hardening, and distortion.

If you have questions about your activity levels,
consultation with your plastic surgeon is appropriate. Your surgeon should be
able to make an appropriate recommendation that will reflect the specifics of
your procedure.