How long should you wait to carry heavy things after Breast Augmentation?

There are risks associated with any surgery. With regards to breast augmentation there is a concern with lifting and or sudden movement.  This can cause a hematoma. This is a collection of blood that clots and  forms outside the blood vessel. It can necessitate a return to surgery. I  tell my patients not to lift greater than 10 pounds for 2 weeks. Other restrictions apply to sudden movement that can dislodge a clot on a healing blood vessel and cause a bleed. I.e. Walking your dog and he/she takes off running after a squirrel. Your risk is the highest the first 48 hours after surgery and then again around 7-10 days after surgery when the risk of "delayed hematoma"  can occur.  Therefore, I would encourage you to wait until it least  10 days after surgery, and if possible 2 -3 weeks. 

I tell my patients no heavy lifting for 6 weeks after breast augmentation. You can return to work just do not carry a lot on your tray at one time.

In general, I tell all my patients they cannot lift anything heavier than 10 pounds for 2 weeks after breast augmentation . I think "overhead" lifting of a tray as a server is a little different.  I think you can lift a tray "under hand" (i.e. "in front of you") at probably 3-4 weeks.  To do an "overhead" lift of a full tray as is typical in a busy restaurant utilizes the pectoralis muscle which in most cases if the implant is under the muscle - will still be quite sore potentially.  It could be 6 weeks to be able to lift overhead in some cases.  If your implants are not under the muscle than it is not an issue, and you may be fine after only 2 weeks.  First and foremost, listen to your body....if it doesn't like what you're doing to it, it will tell you by being sore. In general don't push it.  It is also very important to go through these specific after care instructions with your plastic surgeon.  Good luck!

Thanks for your question.  The short answer is 3 weeks.  For the first 2 weeks its important to limit upper body activity.  Normal, light activity is fine, but anything strenuous is just not a good idea.  Over exerting yourself right after surgery puts you at risk for bleeding.  By 2 weeks its OK to start being a little less cautious and resume a little lifting, but nothing over 5-10lbs.  By 3 weeks it should be fine for heavy lifting but only if you have too.  I do prefer 4 weeks before unrestricted activty, but 3 weeks is fine if the patient can't wait the full 4.  Most servers I treat are able to get back to work after 1-2 weeks.  If they go back after 1 week they may work as a hostess for a week before resuming serving.  When they do go back to serving I ask them to avoid a really heavy tray until around 3 weeks.  Just try to get another server to do the lifting, or take the tray out a little at a time.  The best thing to do is to follow the instructions of your plastic surgeon to make sure you get the results you want.  Best of luck.

Most patients can return to work in a few days, unless their occupation requires particularly strenuous movements and lifting. In such a case, up to 6 weeks off may be required depending on the physical demands of your job. Some employers will modify a person’s job duties so they can back sooner, but without physical activity.Since you are planning to carry heavy items it is not advisable until 6 weeks post op to go back to work. Discuss your concerns with your surgeon. 

Hi & thank you for your question.I advise my patients  not to lift anything over 10lbs for 6 weeks. Contact your surgeon for his/her instructions regarding this. Best of luvk.

I typically advise my patients to take 2 weeks off of work but to avoid carrying anything over 10 pounds for 6-8 weeks post breast augmentation surgery. My best,
Dr. Sheila Nazarian
@drsheilanazarian on Instagram

This is a great question, because even patients who work
out and are careful about not lifting weights can forget and lift other heavy
objects when they're not at the gym. Even if you feel perfectly fine after
about 5 days, you still need to avoid the type of lifting you describe for at
least 2 to 3 weeks after surgery. If you can keep the tray's capacity below 10
pounds, that should be OK. Congrats on your recent surgery, and good luck to
you!

I instruct my patients to limit too much exertion during the first 3-4 weeks. Heavy lifting  and heavy exertion is usually delayed for 6-8 weeks.  

For the type of lifting you are talking about I would plan on about 2-3 wks off. You generally feel better after 5-7 days and be ready for being back to 'normal life' - but strenuous lifting like that will tax you more than you think, and also represents a risk for bleeding in the early weeks after surgery. For heavy duty things like exercise and heavy lifting, 4 weeks represents a minimum.