How long after breast augmentation can I go back to work?

Recovery from breast augmentation surgery varies from patient to patient. We generally recommend that patients take a week off from work after this procedure. Occasionally, patients return to work even sooner, especially if they have a desk job.Patients are not allowed to return to strenuous activities for at least four to six weeks. At that point, they are allowed to resume all of their normal activities.Each patient is unique and should be considered individually. Since you're a waitress, you may have to modify your job description so that you are less active in the immediate post-operative period. Activities such as lifting heavy ice buckets, trays of dishes and mopping the floor are strenuous activities that should be avoided for at least six weeks.If you're unable to modify your job description, you should delay your return to work. Although inconvenient, this approach avoids unnecessary complications which can occur when patients are active too soon following breast augmentation surgery.

Returning to work protocol after breast augmentation is quite variable with job duties, but in terms of the job duties you listed we generally would recommend going back to work in ~2 weeks on modified duty where you wouldn't have to lift heavy objects.  Probably a return to full duties in ~6 weeks would be reasonable to allow all the wounds to heal appropriately.  We recommend following the advice of your board certified plastic surgeon. 

I generally require patients to be away from work for 3-5 days.  This is if you have sedentary job which does not require physical activity.  From there it will go up depending on how much physical activity your job requires.  From what you are describing I would be inclined to say about 2 weeks.  At 4 weeks I allow my patients to resume full activity.As every surgeon has their own recovery program, I would discuss this with your surgeon.Hope that helps.

Thank you for your question; it's a good one. If it were not for the lifting of trays, etc, you would most likely be able to return to work within one week. Generally, I recommend to patients that they can return to work once they are off narcotic pain medication. However, for the lifting portion of your job, I'd recommend waiting at least one month. Activities that increase the risk of breast implant displacement, wound breakdown, or hematoma or seroma development are discouraged until 4-6 weeks post-op. Is there any way you can return to work sooner without doing the lifting?

Recovery time will vary from person to person and what your daily activity involves.  We tell our patients recovery time is average 7 days for office job or light activities.  It may take 2-6weeks for more strennous  activities.                               Tweet