Am I in danger if I decided to go skiing 3 weeks after my BA?

It is possible that you will be feeling just fine to go skiing 3 weeks after your breast augmentation. However, if you are having the implants placed under the muscle, it is not the best idea. If you were to fall, or need to use your poles to help you up an incline or do some sudden movement you could cause some damage to the muscle (not to mention it would be extremely painful). Post operative instructions vary significantly from surgeon to surgeon but almost everyone agrees that 6 weeks is a safe time frame to resume all activities. If there is any way you could move the surgery 1-2 weeks earlier, you should. Otherwise, wait until after your trip so you can enjoy your trip without concerns. Have fun!

Since every surgeon has his or her own unique post op protocol, ask your surgeon. I typically advise my patients to wait at least 4-6 weeks before returning to vigorous exercise such as skiing. My best,
Dr. Sheila Nazarian
@drsheilanazarian on Instagram

You should probably wait at least 6 weeks post op to avoid any post op concerns. Every surgeon has different post op instructions and protocol so you should probably check with your surgeon. 

While each board-certified plastic surgeon has
their own post-op recovery recommendations, during my nearly 30 years of experience,
I tell my patients that on average they will recover 6 weeks after their breast
augmentation. During this 6-week healing process, any strenuous impact on the
chest muscles should be avoided. Please take this into consideration before you make any decisions around your physical activity.

I do not recommend skiing for at least 6 weeks after breast augmentation especially if you have a submuscular implant. You run the risk of bleeding and shifting the position of the implant both which could compromise your long term result.

First of all, please follow your board certified plastic surgeon's advice for you. He or she has a specific routine to follow based on experience and the technique used for your individual surgical procedure. Having said that, we have the best skiing in the world here in Utah (no offence meant to Canada), and being in the middle of skier's paradise, this question comes up a lot. Our patients are back to work the day following surgery with instructions to avoid heavy lifting (more than 10 lbs.) for three weeks, and no underwire bra for three weeks. A comfortable, supportive sports bra is best. Because patients are typically off their pain medication within 24-48 hours and most of the swelling has resolved by three weeks, feeling normal at that time is par for the course. Skiing is very possible, but as you know, skiing is unpredictable, even when taking it easy. Some of my most painful falls have occurred while going slow on the flats. Poling and planting on your turns and catching yourself during falls will make use of your pectoralis muscles, and sudden force can disrupt the pocket, cause bleeding and bruising, possibly requiring additional surgery. You might consider scheduling your surgery 1-3 weeks sooner to allow yourself more time to recover. Good luck.

The safest answer is that you go on the skiing trip and enjoy it! When you get back to then  have the breast augmentation.If you decide to do the breast augmentation first there are a number of things that will influence your activity level. The most common would be if the implants are placed above or below the muscle. I would discuss this with your surgeon and get very specific  recommendations as to your limitations.Good luck! 

Hello and thank you for your question. Different surgeons have
different post-op regimens, so you will ultimately have to follow the
plan as outlined by the plastic surgeon who you decide to go with. I
recommend seeing a board certified plastic surgeon for the best results
and safest recovery protocol. As for the post-op routine
for breast aug patients, my personal goal is to try and 1) get my
patients
back to their work or usual activities and 2) off of pain medications,
as soon as possible. Regarding activities,
I forbid any heavy lifting >10 lbs for minimum 2 weeks. At week 3, I
allow for an increase in activities as tolerated.  However, I still do not allow
exercises that activate the pectoralis major muscle for 1 month because I want the pocket that I have formed for the breast implant to be stable and I want the scar tissue that forms to preserve this pocket to be more reliable -- skiing can be vigorous and a fall or sudden force with your upper extremity can cause excess activation of your pectoralis major and potentially cause the muscle to stretch/rip a little or move the implant in a less than ideal position.  I wouldn't allow you to ski before 4 weeks prior to your surgery, and some surgeons are less lenient and will make you wait 6 weeks. I also
don't allow submerging the incisions in a bathtub, pool, ocean, etc for
1 month. Underwire bras are typically discouraged for 6 months, but
other than that, almost all of my patients are back to whatever they
were doing before surgery, within a month after surgery. Again, what I
mentioned above for my patients are a
generalization and
the regimen I prescribe for each patient is customized to their
particular surgery and expected needs. Make sure to see a board
certified plastic surgeon and go over your goals and expectations and
then decide as to the ideal timing for your surgery. Also remember that
the breast implants need some time to "drop and fluff:" in most people
they ride high for 1-3 months before they fall into their ideal
position, so if you are hoping to look your best, I recommend getting your surgery done sooner. I
hope this helps answer your question(s) and feel free to reach out if I
can be of further assistance.

Thank you for the question.  Each surgeon has their own protocol regarding post operative activity following breast augmentation.  I recommend that my patients do no heavy lifting during first week and then increase their activities over the next two weeks.  Skiing presents a risk of falling and this could result in healing problems within the early stages of recovery.  My recommendation is to speak to your board certified plastic surgeon.