Advice for Exercise After Breast Augmentation?

Recovery from surgery is simple. The body will let you know when it is ready for activity. This is not the time for no pain no gain. Here in Miami I get my share of patients that "need" to work out. My experience has been that after two weeks it should be ok to spin. Maybe not position 3, but one or two will get you all the cardio you need. Any earlier, you can try just walking. The metabolic rate rises when the body undergoes a surgical procedure, so for a few weeks you will burn extra calories, without lifting a finger.

My advice is, try it, and if it hurts don't do it.

• 3-5 days - Return to non-physical work and light activity. Plan to still have some soreness and know that you will be tired more easily. I do encourage patients to use their arms and gently stretch (as long as this can be done without pain) so as to maintain full range of motion of the arms.
• You can return to sexual relations and regular daily self-care activities as long as these can be done comfortably. Unfortunately, it often takes longer for the breasts to become more comfortable for sexual play.
• 1 week postop visit - If a bra is being worn, we will assess whether to continue its use or discontinue the bra and apply an elastic band (if we are desiring more downward movement of the implant). You visit with our massage therapist for a 1hr appointment and she will begin very light lymphatic and breast tissue massage and give teaching for performing self massage.
• 2 weeks - Return to moderate activity. Light-impact cardio exercise and some yoga postures and stretching are appropriate, and elliptical trainer or spin bike are a good place to start. Begin to increase light massage of the breasts.
• 4 weeks - Begin a graduated return to full lower-body activity. You may start back to running if the breasts are comfortable while wearing a supportive athletic bra.
• 6 week postop visit - We evaluate for implant position and relaxation of the breasts and come up with a plan for you accordingly. Sometimes we are near optimal position and go into a support bra. Other times we need more movement and step up the downward massage of the breasts.
• 8 weeks postop - Begin a graduated return to full activity, including upper body.
• 6 months - okay to stop breast massage.

I understand how frustrating it is for fit, physically active people to take the required time off of their workout routine to heal completely.  It really is a challenge for many of my patients to slow down their fitness routine following any kind of plastic surgery. Taking that down time will mean a faster and better recovery and it is a way to avoid complications. Please listen to the advice of your doctor and take it easy. Regular visits with your doctors office are the best way to ensure you know when you can resume certain activities.

During surgery, most plastic surgeons will use pain pumps for pain control. This will help you feel better faster and allow you to start your routine sooner. Anesthesia, administered by an MD anesthesiologist who remains at the bedside of the patient during surgery means safety, more comfort and that too can mean a faster recovery.

I urge athletic patients to find plastic surgeons with expertise performing breast augmnetation on athletes. Often female athletes have very minimal body fat and sometimes very limited breast tissue. Most women want a natural look from their brest augmnetation surgery, but professional athletes are often in attire that demands meticulous surgical technique and attention to every detail. My patients who are aerialists, fitness models or athletes in other sports want and need a feminine result from breast augmentation surgery.

My patients who are career women and / or moms also want a natural result and often want to get back into their exercise  routine as quickly as possible. 

The following are a few things that can distinguish some surgeons from others

1) Graduating from a top tier medical school at the top of their class.

2) Membership in Alpha Omega Alpha. This is the medical honors society. Alpha Omega Alpha is to medicine what Phi Beta Kappa is to undergraduate universities

3) Formal surgical training from prestigious medical universities. The minimum number of years of surgical training for plastic surgeons to be board certified is five years. Some physicians have as many as ten years of formal surgical training. There simply is no substitute for stelar academic and practical surgical training.

4) Very experienced surgeons with meticulous surgical technique and natural looking outcomes will have photgraphic evidence of their work. Patients should be able to view many photos of the surgery of interest, photgraphed from three different perspectives all with similar lighting, distance from the camera and cropping

The elite experience extends beyond the surgeon to the facility, and the surgical team. You should be able to see the surgical theater and know who else will be in the OR with you during surgery. The Joint Commission (JCAHO) is an organization that provides certification to hospital OR's. The Joint Commission and AAAASF are two of the organizations that can provide certification to surgical suites. Some plastic surgeons elect to have their surgery centers dually certified.

The anesthesia experience is critical to a safe and comfortable surgical experience. A board certified anesthesiologist can administer general or MAC anesthesia. My preference is to have a board-certified anesthesiologist at the bedside of my patients for the duration of surgery.

Plastic surgeons who cater to high profile individuals who place a high value on privacy will have a private first floor entrance and exit so patients never need to be in a public lobby or elevator for pre-operative or post operative visits.

Michael Law MD

Member, Alpha Omega Alpha

Member, American Society Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery

Member, American Society Plastic Surgeons

Member, Royal Society of Medicine (England)

Member Phi Beta Kappa

I allow my patients to use a stationary bike starting 2 weeks after breast augmentation surgery. I prefer that you do not do high impact activity for 4-6 weeks from your date of surgery. Listen to your body and know your limits. The more time you take to recuperate, the better your results! Good Luck with your surgery.

Thank you for an excellent question. Every woman recovers at their own pace after a breast augmentation. However, there are a few general guidelines that I give to patients.

Following a breast augmentation, I ask that women avoid any strenuous activity for the first two weeks. This means any activity that elevates your heart rate or blood pressure. The reason for this is that elevation of your heart rate or blood pressure can increase the risk of bleeding or swelling.

After 2 weeks, I allow women to resume cardio workouts such as spinning or an elliptical. Full workouts can be resumed after 3 weeks. While it seems like a long time now, the time will go quickly and your body will stay in shape for this short duration.

Best of luck with your breast augmentation.

Jeff Rockmore