Pros and Cons of Surgical Bra Vs. Sports Bra After Breast Augmentation?

Surgical bras tend to have more support while sports bras tend to be more elastic (and less supportive).   In my practice a sports bra is just fine 90% of the time.  Only when I want very precise support is a surgical bra essential.  When revisions are done and implants must sit exactly as I want them to sit, a surgical bra is essential.

Sincerely,

Martin Jugenburg, MD

I actually prefer that the patients wear no bra for 1 month after surgery.  This will depend completely on the surgeon's experience.  Fit yourself into their system, it is what works for them.

I don't see a big difference between a surgical bra and sports bra. Different surgeons have different preferences about the exact shape of the bra.

I think both bras work well. I don't have any specific recommendations, because I don't use bras after breast augmentation surgery. The best advice will come from your surgeon. Make sure to follow their postoperative instructions closely. This will give you best results.

I don't think it really matters whether patients wear a surgical bra or a sports bra after breast augmentation. A surgical bra that opens in the front is easier to put on that a sports bra that you would pull over your head. Many sports bras today will have a zipper closure in the front and this makes it easy to put on. A lot of women will say that the sports bras look better than the surgical bras. As long as women do not wear underwire bras for the first few weeks, then using a surgical bra or sports bra does not seem to make a difference. 

You ask a great question. First I would advise you to follow the recommendation of your plastic surgeon. In my practice I generally suggest my patients purchase a few sports bras which a much less expensive than a surgical bra. 

You should ask your surgeon about this, since every surgeon has their own guidelines. I normally don't recommend any bra to allow for the breasts to settle first.

In the vast majority of patients, we don’t use a bra
strap or surgical bra in the postoperative period. There are exceptions, but
these are rare. In most cases, we place our patients in a compressive ace wrap
dressing which applies mild pressure to the area. This helps minimize swelling
and makes patients more comfortable. It also decreases the potential for
displacement of the new breast implants within the newly formed breast pocket.

When we perform submuscular augmentation, we feel that
the ace wrap dressing helps to prevent superior displacement of the breast implants.
This can occur with spasm of the pectoralis muscles and result in loss of the
inferior breast pocket expansion. When superior displacement of implants
occurs, a bra strap may be indicated.

The vast majority of patients are switched to a sports
bra one week after surgery. They wear this bra for about six weeks and in most
cases are able to switch to an underwire bra at that time.

It’s important to realize that every patient’s situation is unique. For
this reason the management of compression garments needs to be individualized.

Surgery bras or compression bras generally are latex free, generate a lot of compression, and have adjustable shoulder straps and back straps.  The adjustability is very important, because as your swelling goes down with time, your surgical bra can accomodate the slight shrinkage of your breasts over the first couple of weeks after surgery. 

 

Sports bras generate OK to very good compression.  However, not all of them are latex free, so may cause a skin rash if you wear them for long periods of time.  They often do not have any adjustable shoulder straps or back straps, so as your swelling goes down, it may become a little loose.  One strategy is to buy a sports bra that fits right after surgery, with the knowledge that you may have to buy a better fitting sports bra several weeks after your procedure. 

 

In the end, the choice is yours, but most plastic surgeons will consider a sports bra part of the procedure.  This way, you know you will get a garment that fits you after your breast augmentation.

 

Best Wishes,

Roy

Disclaimer: Every surgeon has different post-operative instructions, or preferences, regarding post-operative care. You should always listen to your own surgeon first.
These are my post-op instructions:
Immediately after surgery, the patient is placed in a surgical bra that is given to them. The surgical bra will provide support and be snug but not tight or compressive. Additionally, the surgical bra will not have an underwire.
At the one-week follow up, I instruct my patients to continue wearing the surgical bra if they like it and/or are comfortable with it. That said, they can wear any sports bra they like as long as it is snug, provides support for the breast while not being too tight or compressive, and does not have any underwire. The reason you don't want an underwire is because it can dig into the incision while it is still healing.
The patient can return to a wired bra once the incision has healed. This is typically at 4 to 6 weeks, which is where you are in your recovery. By this time, the patient will have had their one-month follow up.
I hope that answers your question. It's great that you're doing this research. I always say the best patients are informed patients.

Thank you for reading and good luck on your journey!