How long does the pain usually last after breast augmentation? 1 day post-op.

I appreciate your question.



Typically, my guideline is, the first week is the hardest. By the second week you feel better, at four weeks you feel 100% and at six weeks you can go back to complete normal routines and exercising. 



Four days after surgery, I would be careful as you are still at risk for bleeding. If you are taking any pain medication, I would not drink alcohol. 



The best way to assess and give true advice would be an in-person exam.  Please see a board-certified plastic surgeon that specializes in aesthetic plastic surgery.



 



Best of luck!



   



Dr. Schwartz



Board Certified Plastic Surgeon



#RealSelf100Surgeon



#RealSelfCORESurgeon

Congratulations on your recent surgery.  The discomfort you have is common and typically gets much better when you are unwrapped and start massage of the implants.  Ideally continue to take your medications as prescribed and make sure to eat well ( lots of protein), drink ample amount of fluids, and ambulate often. ( Get up out of bed and take deep breaths every couple of hours)  Hope you feel better quickly.

Every patient is different, but most patients notice a significant relief in pain over the first 3 days or so after surgery.  Do not be alarmed if your pain symptoms last up to or past a week, as there can be significant discomfort associated with muscle division and stretching.  If you have pain that worsens over time, it would be advisable to contact your surgeon for reevaluation.  Best wishes.

On average, patients say their discomfort lasts about three days, and that each day is better than the day before. Women with children equate the feeling to when their breasts were engorged with milk. Patients further consistently tell me that the discomfort eases up a great deal by the fourth day after surgery. 90 percent of the women return to work in an office setting by the fifth day after surgery. Hope this information is reassuring. Of course, if you have any concerns post op you should keep your surgeon in the communication loop. For more information on this and similar topics, I recommend a plastic surgery Q&A book like "The Scoop On Breasts: A Plastic Surgeon Busts the Myths."

Around half of my patients report that their pain has settled to an extent that they stop taking pain killers by the end of the first week, and the remainder by the end of the second week. Some discomfort is felt for longer after this time, but does not normally require pain killers.

HEALING OF SENSORY NERVES: Tingling, burning or shooting pains, which will disappear
with time and should not alarm you, indicate regeneration of the sensory
nerves. If these sensations cause pain, repeated, local self-massage helps.

ASSYMETRY: The two breasts commonly heal quite differently. One
breast may swell more, feel more uncomfortable, or have a different initial
shape. After complete healing, they will be more similar and natural. You must
have patience, but if this causes concern, ask questions of the doctor or the
nursing staff.

SHAPE AND CONTOUR: The final shape of your breasts will start to look its
best approximately three (3) months after surgery. It takes time for the skin
and muscle to stretch and relax around the new implant. The breast will often
look higher, firmer, and “less natural” in the first three (3) months. It can
take up to a year to see your final result.

FOLLOW-UP EXAMS: These are generally done in 1 week, 2 to 3
weeks, 3 to 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months to 1 year, and 1-2 year intervals. In
our office we include all of your follow up appointments in the initial
surgical fee.

Everyone experiences pain differently, and depending on how the surgeon performed the procedure, and how large the implants are, etc.  Generally, significant pain should not last more than two days.  Discuss further with your surgeon. Best of luck!Dr. SubbioBoard-Certified Plastic SurgeonNewtown Square/Philadelphia, PA

Everyone undergoing surgery will experience some degree of discomfort.  There are several factors that go into how much pain each person experiences following breast augmentation.  The most important factor is how each woman experiences pain.  Some people just have a "higher pain threshold" and some people less so.Perhaps the greatest  factor is the relative size of the implant compared to the tightness of the breast  tissues. as implants get larger and larger and  breast tissues are tighter and flatter,  there will be more stretch and hence more discomfort. Additionally, placing the implant underneath the muscle , or partially underneath the muscle, will lead to more discomfort than on top of the muscle. We utilize multiple  medications and strategies to  reduce the amount of  discomfort after surgery.  The foundation of this it is a long acting numbing medicine that we inject at the time of surgery called Exparel.  combining this with anti-inflammatories and muscle relaxants has made a huge improvement for patients-  even with large implants. Most of our patients take a few, if any, narcotic pills after surgery.One very important thing to remember is that while discomfort is normal, it should be the same on both sides.   If you have a significant amount of pain on one side, but not the other, it may represent a problem, such as a hematoma (collection of blood around the implant), and you should contact your surgeon immediately.

Everyone responds to pain after surgery differently.  Some experience very little pain, while others experience a lot.  I generally find the pain coincides with the amount of swelling.  More or less, swelling peaks out around day 4 or 5 and then begins to settle.  Same with the pain.  Nevertheless, I always make sure my patients have good pain medication to take the edge off.  Hope you have a speedy recovery.

Thank you for this question. Pain varies in level and how long it lasts. My patients will feel much better after 2 to 3 days, but may still night a pain pill before bedtime for a few more days. Switching to a non-narcotic of your doctor's approval might help some patients feel like they're having a faster recovery. Best, Dr. ALDO