Is it ok to go to work and walk normally the day after gynecomastia? I am considering the surgery but I am working all week.

Thank you for sharing your question.  In general most patients benefit from at least a couple of days or uneventful recovery before returning to work but this will depend on the exact procedure performed as well as the physical requirements required of your job.  Talk to your surgeon about your obligations to get the best advice. 

Typically, you can go back to a sedentary job, requiring brain, not brawn, within 3 days following gynecomastia surgery. Walking should not be an issue.  Jobs requiring brawn could take anywhere from 1-2 weeks. You do not want to get a fluid collection or hematoma by resuming activities before you are healed.  You would need to ask the plastic surgeon who performs you gynecomastia procedure if he or she thinks you will have enough energy, be painfree with Tylenol or equivalent, and be thinking clearly to return to work one day after the procedure.Kenneth Hughes, MD, Board Certified Plastic SurgeonLos Angeles, CA

Always follow the post op instructions of your surgeon who knows your health history and specific case. For my patients, since this is an outpatient procedure, the patient will return home the day of surgery. In the rare cases where a significant amount of tissue was removed, the patient will have drains in each breast for the drainage of excess fluids for a day or two after surgery.Patients can expect to have swelling and bruising on their chest for two to three weeks post-surgery. Discomfort can be managed with pain medication prescribed by the doctor. To help manage the appearance of scars, sun exposure and tanning beds should be avoided for six months, and an SPF with a minimum of 30 should be applied to the chest until the scar completely fades.Patients can typically return to a sedentary job after one week, and two weeks for a more physically demanding job. Moderate exercise (excluding weight lifting) can be resumed after two to three weeks. Chest and back exercises and weight lifting should be avoided for at least six weeks.