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Lifting Arms After Breast Augmentation.

asked 6 months ago by BaMaGurl in Guntersville, AL
Latest answer by J. Jason Wendel, MD
Question viewed 494 times
Tags: arms, lifting, protocol, risk

I am a Dental Hygienist at a pediatric office. I know I will not be able to lift, push, pull, ect for weeks following my surgery, but I was wondering what the usual protocol is for lifting your arms above your head. I will be out of work for approximately 10 days, that's including the weekend, but when I return I will be lifting my arms. I also lift my arms to straighten my hair, or pull it up if I am unable to straighten it. Thank you for your time.

19 answers to Lifting Arms After Breast Augmentation.

Arm lifting after Breast Augmentation

Thank you for your questions. Yes, you can lift your arms up to do your hair within a day after breast augmentation. Most people will return to work within 7-10 days when you are off pain medication. It will be important for you to ease back into it and not do too much too soon. You may want to make the first day a half day. The main thing is no heavy lifting with your arms (no more than 5 lbs) for the first 4 weeks after breast augmentation. Gentle range of motion without... more

J. Jason Wendel, MD
Nashville Plastic Surgeon

www.mc.vanderbilt.edu

Armlifting After Breast Augmentation

There is really no significant problems with lifting your arms after a breast augmentation within hours. In fact, I encourage my patients to move their arms and elevate them above their head within hours post procedure. However, I encourage my patients to keep their blood pressure below 100 and avoid aggressive physical exercise for 2-3 weeks.

Rod J. Rohrich, MD
Dallas Plastic Surgeon

Lifting protocols following breast augmentation.

As with most postoperative routines, it is surgeon dependent and you should follow the instructions given to you by your surgeon. In my practice, for women having subglandular (on top of the muscle), the restrictions are usually minimal. For submuscular placement, I prefer no heavy lifting (greater than 10lbs) for 2 weeks and the use of a post-augmentation bra. I do not restrict patients from normal, daily activities requiring overhead lifting of the arms (hair washing, etc.). However,... more

David Bogue, MD
Boca Raton Plastic Surgeon

Restrictions on your activity after breast augmentation will vary with your surgeon

Hi there- Because only your surgeon understands the details of the technique performed on you, you should ask, and then carefully follow, the instructions given to you by him/her. Deviating from those instructions (even if a well-meaning one of us on this site advocates it) will compromise your outcome and possible your safety. Stick with your surgeon's recommendations

Armando Soto, MD
Orlando Plastic Surgeon

Arm motion after breast augmentation

I tell my patients not to lift more than 10 lbs for 2 weeks following breast enhancement; however, I let them shower the next day, wash their own hair, and I am not strict about "overhead lifting" of their arms. I have a number of patients in your same profession and they are able to go back to work and do usual duties within several days as long as they are not doing heavy lifting. Each doctor has their own "protocol" and I would recommend following your board... more

James F. Boynton, MD
Houston Plastic Surgeon

www.BoyntonPlasticSurgery.com

There is no protocol

Hello, There is no specific protocol for breast augmentation activity since every plastic surgeon has his/her own preference and every patient has different requirements. If you breast augmentation is performed under the muscle you will certainly feel sore and stiff when you raise your arms but there is no specific harm that you can do when you do so. The most important physical limitation is really not to lift to heavy or do vigorous activity as this will increase your blood... more

Remus Repta, MD
Phoenix Plastic Surgeon

www.aaaplasticsurgery.com

Arm motion after Augmentation

Please contact your PS for instructions on arm motion after the procedure, as everyone's protocol is different. You should be able to resume your job in 10 days barring any post operative problems. The basic rule of thumb is: "if it hurts, stop doing it!"

David Finkle, MD
Omaha Plastic Surgeon

Lifting arms above head after breast augmentation

Every plastic surgeon has their own protocol for various procedures including breast augmentation surgery. There is definitely not one definitive answer and there can be some variations among patients. With that said, you should follow the regimen prescribed by your plastic surgeon as he/she will be responsible for you and your care postoperatively. For my patients, most are allowed to lift their arms above their head in moderation starting a few days after surgery. I do recommend... more

Steven Turkeltaub, MD
Scottsdale Plastic Surgeon

www.turkeltaub.com

Breast Augmentation and Activity

Hello RTR 80, While it is true that many surgeons have many different opinions about this issue, I consider them just that, opinions, and not necessarily the best practice of medicine. We live in an age of evidenced based medicine, where the practice of any specialty should be governed by data that indicates what is the 'best way' that we currently know. Having said that, I have been performing breast augmentation essentially the same way that Dr. John Tebbits... more

Gerald Minniti, MD, FACS
Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon

Lifting arms after BA

As can be seen by the responses you have received so far, every doctor has a little bit different approach to post-op care. First and foremost, I would follow the recommendations of the doctor who did your operation. Having said that, I allow my patients to lift their arms over their head immediately after surgery, or as soon as they can, in order to perform activities of daily living like washing and combing their hair or putting on a sweater. On the other hand, if... more

Paul W. Loewenstein, MD
Milwaukee Plastic Surgeon

Important to ask your surgeon

A I read the other surgeons's answers, it further re-inforced to me that there is never one right answer. Each surgeon designs his operation slightly different and expects different post-operative behaviors to contribute to the final finished result. The most important goal for you is to have a recovery without complications and an outstanding aesthetic result. Ask your surgeon how he/she achieves that result and what activity level will promote... more

Vishnu Rumalla, MD
Dallas Plastic Surgeon

tarrantplasticsurgery.com

Post operative care after Breast Implant placement

There is a wide range of what doctors tell their patients. I have become more liberal with time and experience in practice Most of my patients do what they feel is comfortable. More motion of the arm and shoulder is better immediately post op. I still wait one or two weeks for heavy use of the pectoralis

Jed H. Horowitz, MD
Orange County Plastic Surgeon

Recuperating form breast augmentation

You should not lift heavy objects for at least 3-4 weeks after breast augmentation. After two weeks, you can reach over your head and you can certainly begin to style your hair within a couple of days. Just use common sense and follow your plastic surgeon's instructions. Ten days is a reasonable period off from work.

Robert L. Kraft, MD
New York Plastic Surgeon

Avoid a "frozen shoulder"...

Raising your arms above your head is something I have my patients do within the first week. Generally I teach them to "walk the wall" with their fingers in the shower until they have normal range of motion. The big concern is a "frozen shoulder" which can rarely happen in patients who avoid raising their arms for longer periods postop. Remember "gentle range of motion exercises" doesn't mean lifting boxes of books onto the high shelves of the garage now that... more

Robert Frank, MD
Munster Plastic Surgeon

Arm movement after breast augmentation

Normal body movements are ok after a breast augmentation. Certianly if things hurt during different movements, then gradually increase your mobility. I recommend to my patients to avoid heavy lifting for about 6 weeks.

Steven Wallach, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

MOVEMENT FOLLOWING BREAST AUGMENTATION

My belief and practice is to try and get the patient back into their normal routine as soon as possible. I would allow you to raise your arms immediately following surgery. What I tell my patients is "your body is your guard if you feel comfortable go right ahead" Rigorous exercise is limited for 2 weeks. For submuscular implants no pectoralis major exercises for 6 weeks such as push ups.

Todd B. Koch, MD
Buffalo Plastic Surgeon

www.toddbkochmd.com

Lifting arms is advised in our practice

As mentioned earlier, every plastic surgeon has a different approach, and you should check with your surgeon as to his recommendations. In our practice, early light exercise is encouraged. We in fact teach our patients some simple arm raising exercises beginning in the recovery area immediately after the procedure. In combination with a bloodless approach to the operation we find that this leads to a much faster recovery, and little need for pain medications for most patients. Most of our... more

Jeffrey Hartog, MD
Orlando Plastic Surgeon

Lifting arms after breast augmentation

Reaching for the top shelf or straight out to the sides is not advised for a few weeks to prevent the implants from being pulled up or out towards the side during the early healing period. You want the implants to settle and heal into place. You should be able to do your hair and do work in front of you, just not way out to the sides or straight up over head.

Todd C. Case, MD
Tucson Plastic Surgeon

Lifting Arms after Breast Augmentation?

Thank you for the question. You will find that every plastic surgeon has a different “protocol” for post breast augmentation activity. You should check with your chosen plastic surgeon for his/her guidance. Generally, for my patients I ask that the arms not be fully lifted above the head for about 10 to 14 days after surgery. More than likely, given your occupation, you will be functional at approximately 10 days post-op. Best wishes.