Sports Bra and Tighter Bra After Breast Implants?

This is a very common question and a very good one! With regard to garment usage during the post-operative period you will find many variations of surgeon practices. I request my patients remain in a sports type bra for 4 weeks post-operative which allows for support and compression. The goal is not to be uncomfortable due to the tightness of the garment rather to provide support and help control swelling during your post-operative care. I typically will request my patients remain in their garment day and night only removing to shower for the full four weeks following surgery where upon week five they are able to transition into any bra they are comfortable with. If at any time you are concerned your bra is not the right size or possibly is too tight i would advise you to follow up with your Board Certified Plastic Surgeon. One of the many reasons why I prefer to provide two post-operative garments to my patients as part of the personalized post-operative kit is to assure the proper fit.I do hope you have found this information helpful and I wish you luck! 

I prefer that the patients not wear a bra for one month after breast augmentation. this allows the implant to settle naturally into position. A bra will not help position the breast implant.

This is a great question. I recommend wearing a supportive/compressive bra for 4-6 weeks. This helps stabilize the implants and minimize swelling. No underwire bras for 6 weeks. You want it tight but not uncomfortable. Hope this helps. Ask your physician if you have any questions. 

After breast surgery, a general recommendation is to wear a soft bra for approximately 3-4 months and start wearing an underwire bra cautiously after that to ensure it does not irritate the lower breast skin or the incision if the incision was made under the breast position. Prior to this, patients can wear more normal appearing non-underwire bras or sports bras. I do not feel that an uncomfortably tight bra is helpful and I recommend that patients wear bras that fit well and feel comfortable in general. Many patients get used to these types of bras and actually use them after surgery because they prefer them to underwire bras.

I place my patients in a post-surgical bra at the conclusion of the augmentation surgery. Surgeons handle this differently, and there is likely no "best" strategy. I believe that the bra helps to control swelling, and to maintain a narrow intermammary distance (between the breasts). I don't like my patients to use underwire bras for the first few weeks, since the metallic wire can rub on the area where I've cut and released pectoralis muscle beneath the breast near the chest bone. I want the muscle to settle down and heal before being irritated. I check my patients within a day or two of surgery. If it looks like the patient has high-riding implants and tight tissues, meaning that it may take awhile for the implants to drop and settle, I may tell the patient to remove the bra for a number of hours each day, or to place the bra on top of the upper surface of the breasts to apply a downward pressure. To answer your question specifically, I feel that the bra should be snug and supportive, but not very tight and uncomfortable. 

This is a very relevant question!
I usually ask my patients to wear a postoperative compressive bra after breast augmentation for 4 weeks day and night, and move on to regular sport bras during weeks 4 to 6.

This is a very important question with probably different answers by different surgeons. Bras are usually used for a few different purposes
compressing the breast to reduce bleeding
hold the implants in position after surgery
reduce pain
In my practice of breast augmentation, the implant is placed in the subfascial plane, with no cuts in the pectoralis muscles. The overall bleeding in these cases is less than 2-3 cc per breast with no drain placement. The fascia holds the implant in place while proper hemostasis prevents the need for compression to reduce bleeding and hematomas. Therefore, I do not make the patients wear any bras in the immediate postoperative period. If they want to, they can wear a sportive bra for support. However this is not mandatory. Since sleeping on the breasts is forbidden for a minimum of 6 weeks, use of a bra at nights can help prevent any unwanted trauma to the breasts.
Hope this helps,
Ali Rıza Öreroğlu, MD FEBOPRASEuropean and Turkish Board Certified Aesthetic, Plastic and Reconstructive SurgeonIstanbul, Turkey

I recommend my patients wear a sports bra for 6 weeks, 24/7 after surgery. I ask then to get one with a looser chest than normal (if you wear a 34, get a 36 inch), and cups that are way too small (B or C Cup sizes). This means that you can still breath (as the chest is not being squeezed by the lower part of the bra) and the breasts are being compressed - this means that swelling might be reduced, and the risk of bleeding and infection is also likely to be reduced. Pain is also less when wearing a good bra.
By the way, buying more than one of these bras is a good idea - that way you can still wear one and wash the others - things won't be pleasant if you wear the same bra for more than a few days!
I also ask my patients to continue to wear a support bra 24/7 even after the first 6 weeks. I am convinced that this fights off the 'enemies of the breast' - Time and Gravity. It is ok to wear no bra, or a less supportive bra occasionally, but for everyday use, a good supporting bra is really important.
Think of your sports bra as being like a garage for your car - your car will last a lot longer of it is stored indoors, but the odd night parked in a rainy field won't destroy it!
Thanks, and all the best.

You only need to wear a sports bra or surgical bra for the first month after surgery- and it does not need to be tight. The bra will not add anything to your final outcome. Find a bra that is comfortable and does not have an underwire during the first month.Best wishes,Dr.Bruno

Generally it is advised that patients follow their performing plastic surgeons post operative instructions due to different protocol routines per surgeon as well as case by case considerations.It is not a huge need for your bra's to be tight,but it is necessary for you to have proper consistent support and comfort after the first 3-4 weeks out surgery.

I place my patients in a loose fitting comfortable bra postoperatively and do not feel compression is necessary.  I feel a light sports bra is fine but not mandatory.  My patients can use an underwire in 6 weeks and I begin implant displacement exercises within the first week