When Can I Return to Work After Breast Augmentation?

Return to work is dependant on several factors : 1) are the implants above or below the pectoralis muscle? 2) You run a housekeeping business. Do you direct the work or can you defer to your employees all of the heavy physical labor? 3) How many hours a week do you work? Ultimately the recovery will be anywhere from two to six weeks depending on the answerto those questions. Talmage Raine MD FACS dr@drraine.com

I generally encourage my patients who do work that requires little or no physical exertion to be back to work in 3 to 7 days. Women who do heavy work can require up to six weeks. They must be done with narcotic pain meds which would render them unsafe to drive or work. My patients who have done housekeeping have generally be back in two weeks though working at a somewhat slower pace. Those who work with an assistant can be back a bit sooner. Thanks and best wishes. more

Thank you for the question. Your plastic surgeon will be in the best position to advise you in regards to returning to activities after your procedure, since every patient responds differently to surgery. Furthermore, every patient's occupation requires different physical and/or mental exertion. Generally speaking, for patients returning to a “desk job” return to work usually occurs within one week. If a patient's work requires more exertion ( for example... more