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I'm Worried My Implants are Dropping Too Far But My Dr. Doesn't Recommend a Bra For a Year, Should I Listen?

I underwent a primary ba 3 weeks ago. 375cc silicone over the muscle. I had slight ptosis pre op. I feel like the first couple of weeks my breast were perfect and now that they have dropped I don't want them to go any further. My doc doesn't believe in wearing bras for the first year post op... not at all! I have read other places that if u feel the implant is dropping too low to wear a good supportive bra to hold the implants in place while healing. Is this true? Could it help me?

Doctor Answers 8

Bra or not to prevent further drop?

August 8th, 2012
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While your own surgeon has vested interest in your results (and his/her own advice as to how to best achieve them), it is always wise to follow your surgeon's recommendations. But in following this "No bra for a year" advice, have you asked your surgeon what his/her policy is on re-do surgery to raise the pockets in patients who drop too low? And who pays for what?

Certainly after 3 weeks you are not risking "damage" to your scars, and if position is good now (and starting to drop too low), it is certainly reasonable to wear a bra to try to assist your scar's tensile strength in maintaining position and reducing further stretch and drop.

This just makes good sense to reduce the likelihood of re-do surgery. Blindly following advice that you feel is wrong may not be enough to shift the burden of responsibility for costs of re-do surgery to your surgeon, so this is why it IS a very reasonable set of questions to explore with your surgeon. NOW! Make that call, and ask those questions. Good luck and best wishes! Dr. Tholen

Web reference: http://www.mpsmn.com/photogallery/breast-lift-plus-augmentation-5861/case-3-21779

Richard H. Tholen, MD, FACS


Minneapolis Plastic Surgeon
4.9 out of 5 stars 236 reviews

Timing of wearing a Bra after Breast Augmentation

February 4th, 2012
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Once the Breast implants have come down to the point where the nipples sit exactly atop the center of the implants there is no point in making it easier for the impants to continue to sag. Doing so will result in sagging breasts. By 3 weeks after surgery you should be able to wear a bra. 

Peter A. Aldea, MD

Peter A. Aldea, MD
Memphis Plastic Surgeon
4.9 out of 5 stars 100 reviews

Bra wearing

February 3rd, 2012
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You can certainly wear a sports bra or other soft bra now, and an underwire or push-up bra is fine after 4 weeks.  While it may not stop your tissue from stretching or your implant from dropping, it certainly can't hurt!

Thomas Fiala, MD

Bras

February 3rd, 2012
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Feel free to wear a bra. It won't hurt. All of myatients wear soft bras without underwires post op. with or without a bra, your breasts will naturally droop over the years.

Web reference: Http://wrmd.com

William B. Rosenblatt, MD

William B. Rosenblatt, MD
New York Plastic Surgeon
4.1 out of 5 stars 11 reviews

Bra to stop implants from dropping further?

February 2nd, 2012
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Wearing a bra at this point will not hurt. I'm not sure the bra will prevent further descent of the implants. This is likely more dependent on how the pocket was dissected and how much the inframammary fold was lowered. If the implants end up to low, or bottomed out, you may need to have surgery to reconstruct the inframammary fold higher.
Todd C. Case, MD

Todd C. Case, MD
Tucson Plastic Surgeon
5.0 out of 5 stars 53 reviews

Bra Use after Breast Augmentation?

February 2nd, 2012
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Thank you for the question.

Since you are pleased with the current position of your breast implants,  common sense dictates that it should do no harm to wear a bra  at this time ( for support).  Since your plastic surgeon is ultimately responsible for your care, I would suggest that you address the question with him/her and asked for his/her rationale behind  any recommendations he/she has.  If you find that the explanation has merit  and seems logical then you may want to listen to your plastic surgeon. If not, I would suggest that you use common sense.

I hope this helps.

Web reference: http://www.poustiplasticsurgery.com/Procedures/Procedure_breastAugmentation.htm

Tom J. Pousti, MD, FACS

When to wear a bra after BA

February 2nd, 2012
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I recommend wearing  a bra once the implant is where you want it. If your breasts look just like you want them at only 4 weeks after surgery I would suggest wearing a good support bra with an elastic (not wire) underwire. On the other hand this is just my opinion and in general I would recommend listening to your own surgeon. 

Web reference: http://www.cosmeticsurgerybaltimore.com/html/breast-augmentation-procedure.html

Ronald Schuster, MD

Bras and philosophy

February 6th, 2012
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Every surgeon is a bit different regarding his or her position on bras. I suggest follow your doctor's advice as he/she is the one treating you.

Steven Wallach, MD

Steven Wallach, MD
New York Plastic Surgeon
4.1 out of 5 stars 23 reviews

These answers are for educational purposes and should not be relied upon as a substitute for medical advice you may receive from your physician. If you have a medical emergency, please call 911. These answers do not constitute or initiate a patient/doctor relationship.