After breast surgery how often should you get your dressings changed?

Your plastic surgeon should have given you information about changing dressings, and the schedule will vary depending upon the type of surgery. for example, a breast reduction will have more dressings than a breast augmentation. If your surgery was a revision then it will be especially important to follow your surgeons advice closely.

The wound after breast surgery should generally be checked 24-48 hours later. The gauze dressing should be removed, the steri-strips left on and the patient can shower. Dry the steri-strips with a hair dryer on cool setting. Replace gauze if necessary and hold in place with a bra.

Dressing types, amounts of dressings, changes of dressings, duration of dressings… will vary from one practice to another and from one patient to another depending on factors such as exactly what operation was performed and surgeon preferences. If you have specific concerns, best to run them by your plastic surgeon.Best wishes

Every surgeon has his own routine for dressings following each type of breast surgery. I usually perform the first dressing change four of five days after surgery and remove any drains if they have been placed. Minimal dressings, if any, are applied after that, but the patient can put on a clean sports bra daily. Sutures are removed ten to fourteen days later as most or buried and dissolvable. A clean sports bra is worn 24/7 for a month except for bathing.