Does it hurt to get a Breast Augmentation?

Thanks for your question!
Every patients experience is different. Some patients feel great while others have discomfort for a few days. Most patients are back to work within a week. Schedule a consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon to discuss your options and concerns. Best wishes!

It is important to note that everyone has a different experience after surgery, from negligible pain to significant discomfort.  The pain is usually described has heaviness and tightness across the chest. It is usually worse over the first 2-3 days, but rapidly settles.  You will be given pain relief medications as you leave the hospital and it is recommended you take them as prescribed.

It's not unusual for patients to experience pain following breast augmentation surgery. This pain is usually related to elevation of the muscles during sub-muscular breast pocket formation. In addition, spasm of these muscles can contribute to post-operative discomfort as well.The pain associated with breast augmentation is severe in the first 24 to 48 hours following surgery, but rapidly diminishes with time. We typically use a synthetic codeine derivative called hydrocodone, which has a decreased incidence of nausea compared to codeine. We replace narcotic pain relievers with Tylenol as soon as possible following surgery to avoid the potential for drug problems. We also use muscle relaxants in the immediate post-operative period.Pain tolerance varies from patient to patient following breast augmentation. If you're considering this procedure, it's important to discuss pain management with your surgeon prior to surgery.

This is a very common question. During the surgery patients are sedated so they feel no pain at that time. Post surgery there will be some pain during the recovery time, but patients are given pain killers to help with this. How much pain a patient experiences is subjective and depend on the patients pain threshold.

Breast augmentation implant surgery DOES hurt but it varies from patient to patient. I have had some patients take only Tylenol while others have been on potent narcotic analgesics for 6 weeks even when the same procedures were performed.

Everyone experiences some degree of discomfort with any surgical procedure, but it is short lived in breast augmentation. Most all of my patients that undergo breast augmentation have implants placed under the muscle which is better for many reasons including better appearance, less change of implant visibility, better for mammography, and less change of firmness or scarring around the implant. Most patients experience some "chest tightness" in the first few days which is normal as the body is getting used to the new implants and patients may also experience crampy pains similar to a "charley horse" or muscle cramp one might get from sports.I give all my patients pain medicine and muscle relaxants for the first few days to help with this. My patients all go home the same day of surgery and I recommend they go out to dinner that evening. They can shower the next day and 85% of my patients are pain free in 3 days. I have many that take Motrin instead of pain medicine and they do great. I think it is a rapid recovery with a high rate of patient satisfaction.

While this is still surgery and should not be expected to be pain free, great advances and medications as well as techniques have improved the overall experience.  In particular, I utilized our "24-Hour Breast Augmentation Recovery Plan" which has people going out to dinner the night of surgery and taking either no narcotic pain medications or very few narcotic tablets within the first 24 hours.  If you would like to understand more about this program please visit my webpage wirthplasticsurgery.com or call us for a consultation.

  Breast augmentation does hurt but not for long. Anything that has to do with incision normally hurts after but the pain doesn’t last forever. In a matter of time, the pain will go away especially when you see the results of how your breasts have turned out, the excitement and postoperative stretching exercise won’t keep the pain for long even if you are the type that can’t bear pains.

This is a very common question in breast augmentation.  As most Board Certified Plastic Surgeons, including myself, recommend placement of the implants below the pectoral muscle, if no measures are taken, the breast implant surgery could be very uncomfortable.  This is because we have to lift the muscle and actually detach it from the rib cage near the breast bone in order to accommodate the implant.  This can cause significant postoperative discomfort.  However, there are remedies.  I personally like the On-Q pain pump, which is a tiny, little tube that we place at the time of surgery and this will drip Novocain local anesthetic (not narcotic) right onto the muscle and keep the patient quite comfortable.  That way, there is less need for oral pain medication, especially narcotics, which, I believe, should be avoided whenever possible.  The On-Q pain pump has been incredibly successful in relieving postoperative pain in my practice.  Others prefer to use the infiltration of local anesthetic blocks, with great success as well.  The important thing is to find a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon who is sensitive to these issues.  

Thank
you for your question. I have included some typical expectations of breast
surgery recovery and signs to watch for following breast augmentation:
Stiffness, swelling
and bruising in the chest region: These are normal experiences as the skin,
muscles and tissue heal. Pain medication and muscle relaxants will help you
cope with any discomfort. Consistent sharp pain should be reported to your
board-certified surgeon.Hypersensitivity of
nipples or lack of sensitivity: This is normal and will gradually resolve over
time.A mild to severe itchy
feeling of the breasts is possible as healing progresses. An antihistamine like
Benadryl can help to alleviate severe, constant itchiness. If the skin becomes
red and hot to the touch, contact your board-certified surgeon
immediately.Asymmetry, the breasts
look different, or heal differently: Breasts may look or feel quite different
from one another in the days following surgery. This is normal. No two breasts
in nature or following surgery are perfectly symmetrical.Discuss returning to
work with your board-certified surgeon, in our office it is typically 3-5
days post-surgery but you may not overexert yourself or do any heavy lifting.You may resume
exercise and your normal routine at six weeks unless your surgeon advises
otherwise.I hope this information is helpful. I suggest consulting with a board-certified plastic surgeon and they will determine if you are a candidate for breast augmentation. Best of luck!