Can lifting my arms up to get things off a shelf three days after breast reduction ruin the result?

Question

I have been lifting my arms to get lightweight things off of tall shelves. It did not really hurt. Felt kind of good. I am three days out from breast reduction surgery and I have an anchor lollipop incision. Went from a small D to a large A small B. I sure hope I didn't mess with my results, but I just didn't feel like it was a bad thing at the time.

Richard A. Bartlett, MD · Answer

Dear kharma39, Our restrictions after breast surgery typically include no reaching your arms over your head or lifting anything heavier than 7 lbs for about 6 weeks. That being said, you probably didn't undo anything from your surgery. I would try to avoid reaching up for the next few weeks. If you are concerned you could always have your surgeon take a look. Best of luck!

John D. Smoot, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question and I am glad to hear you are happy with your decision to have this surgery since it is such a life changing procedure.  Lifting you arms usually is not a problem but straining or lifting anything heavier than a half gallon of milk is not recommended for the first two weeks.  I would discuss with your surgeon what you can and can't do for the first two weeks.  If you are too active, you can pull apart your incisions which may need repair or leave poor scars.

Steven Wallach, MD · Answer

I usually have patients limit exertion with light aerobics to begin at 3-4 weeks.  I doubt that you caused a problem taking things off a shelf.

Karen Quigley, MD · Answer

If you did not feel any pulling, notice any bleeding or see excess swelling, you are ok. It is good to see that you feel so well after your surgery but you might want to be a little more cautious. It usually takes about two weeks for everything to be fairly resistant to the wear and tear of normal activity.

Leonard Hochstein, MD - Account Suspended · Answer

Thank you so much for your question.  I typically recommend any breast surgery patient to not lift their hands up over their head for a full 10 days post surgery to avoid any complications.  However, I would consult with your PS to ensure that everything is normal and you did not cause any harm to your surgery.

Can lifting my arms up to get things off a shelf three days after breast reduction ruin the result?

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Can lifting my arms up to get things off a shelf three days after breast reduction ruin the result?

Answers (5)

Answer: Lifting arms 3 days after breast reduction

Answer: Lifting arms 3 days after breast reduction

Answer: Breast Reduction Questions

Answer: Breast Reduction Questions

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Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Breast Reduction

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.