I am an ICU nurse- I was wondering how long I would need to be off after breast implants, considering how physical my job is?

I usually recommend my patients take about 5-7 days off of work. Do not lift anything heavy until about 6 weeks after surgery. Please ask your surgeon for their advice as they may have different guidelines.

While most patients with sedentary jobs can return in a few days to a week, I usually ask that my patients who have very physical jobs wait at least 2 weeks before getting back to upper body activities and particularly lifting. Some are able to return to work, but do so with restrictions on lifting. Nursing can be very physical and activity levels should be consdered carefully. Those in the military, or athletes looking to return to training also need to heed advice on taking enough time off to heal. You want to minimize complications such as hematoma, which would be a real risk in an active environment like an ICU floor. I would be sure to check with your surgeon and follow their recommendations.

  Dear tsr88, In my practice we suggest that women with very physical jobs ( I would consider an ICU nurse to have a very physical job) to wait at least 2 weeks and sometimes longer before getting back to very active upper body stress movements. We fell that this can help minimize complications such as hematoma. I would ask your surgeon what their protocol is and be sure to let them know how active your job is...most of us know this already having worked in ICU's during our residencies. Good luck. Dr. Gervais