How Long After a Breast Reduction Are You Laid Up?

Thank you for your question.  In my practice, most patients are back to their normal daily routine, including work, within 3-5 days after surgery.  With that said, for the first 4-6 weeks patients are required to refrain from any physical activities including exercising and heavy lifting.  Patients will vary on the length of time they request off from their employers the same way that they vary on their discomfort tolerance, but most patients do quite well quite quickly.  Please remember however that patient recovery will vary from patient to patient.  As such, I would recommend consulting and discussing your concerns with your board-certified plastic surgeon who specializes in breast reduction procedures.  Surgical technique, expertise and experience, in addition to a patient's ability to bounce back, will play a large role in the amount of downtime you will specifically require.  I hope this helps and best of luck!

Thank you for your question.
Every patients recovery is different. Most patients feel pretty good within a few days. Patients usually resume light activity and return to work within two weeks. Schedule a consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon to discuss your options. Best wishes!

This is definitely one of my favorite surgeries to do, very life-changing for my patients.
It’s actually a pretty easy recovery, I find that my patients take a little bit of pain medication. Within 1-2 weeks driving, light exercise and after 4 weeks you can increase the exercise even further and at 8 weeks you will be back to normal with no restrictions. You will take a few days off of work at most, usually after a few days you will be back to your normal routine.

Thank you for your question.  Everyone recovers slightly differently from surgery.  Depending on one’s occupation, most people can return to a desk-job within 7-10 days, once one is off narcotic pain medication.  Strenuous activity and heavy lifting should be avoided for approximately 6 weeks.  Be sure to consult with your board-certified plastic surgeon to review their specific activity restrictions and post-operative care regimen.  Best of luck!

Each person recovers differently from surgery.  I typically tell my patients that you will likely be able to return to light duty work within 1-2 weeks, depending on how you feel and when you are able to stop pain medication. Return to exercise recommendations vary from surgeon to surgeon, but typically range from 4-6 weeks. 

Recovery varies from patient to patient. Much of the variation is attributed to the manner in which one heals and their unique degree of pain tolerance.I typically prepare patients for 7-10 days of recuperation, after which time they can return to most activity. I discourage exercise for a month and strenuous heavy lifting for 6 weeks.As always, discuss your concerns with a board certified plastic surgeon (ABPS).

This really depends on the type of correction that you have done and can take up to 2 weeks to fully recover. Garments are generally worn for a further 4 weeks after  that. Please see an experienced Plastic Surgeon who has a specialist interest in gynecomastia (male breast enlargement).

That is a very good question that I hear regularly.  The best first step is to check with your surgeon about his personal recommendations, because they may vary slightly depending on how he performs the surgery.  I usually recommend that pt's avoid lifting greater than 20 lbs for 4-6 weeks but they can do light normal activity the night of surgery.  Therefore, if you are doing any heavy lifting at work then you should get someone to give you a hand. Most patients can make it back to non physically taxing work at a week after surgery.  That being said you have to know yourself and be honest with yourself.  If you are very tough and bounce back right after other surgeries or major events, then you will likely do very well afterwards.  If you know at heart that you really don't like pain and it is harder for you to bounce back after things then you will take a little longer to recover.  Pain is a very subjective experience and differs from person to person dramatically.  I can do the exact same breast reduction on two different patients on Thursday and one is back to work on Monday a few days later and another one may still be moving slowly two weeks later.  If you are resilient and have an uneventful surgery you will likely be able to get back to work in a week or sooner after surgery but you will likely still be a little sore when doing certain movements and somewhat fatigued. Some really motivated patients have surgery on Wednesday or Thursday and are back to work on Monday, but most patients take at least a week off.  Best of luck on your journey. 

Thank you for your question. You will experience some swelling or discomfort as the anaesthetic wears off, which is managed with prescribed pain relief. Usually you are able to go home on the day of your operation, but in some circumstances your surgeon may recommend an overnight stay in a hospital.
You will return for a check -up within the first few days after surgery. You should expect some initial swelling and firmness – this is normal. Tape is applied to the healing wounds to help reduce scar formation. You will be provided with instructions on care of your surgical site and you will need to wear your surgical support bra for three to four weeks afterwards.
Swelling normally takes up to six weeks to settle and your stitches should dissolve over three months or so. A small scar will remain either under the breast fold, in the areola, or in the natural crease under the arm. The scar’s appearance will gradually improve over three to nine months. Best of luck!Dhaval M. Patel Double Board Certified Plastic Surgeon Hoffman Estates Barrington Oakbrook Chicago 

There are different aspects to recovery following breast reduction. If, by "laid up," you mean how long before you can return to work, the answer is usually about a week to 10 days (depending on the type of job you have). If you're wondering about how long before you can resume strenuous workouts at the gym or other active physical activity, that will be more like a month. You should follow your plastic surgeon's instructions when it comes to recovery. And remember that any recovery timeline is a guideline; each patient recovers at her own unique pace.
I tell my patients that I don’t want them lying in bed after surgery. In general, the best healing and fastest recovery comes with being up and about on your feet and walking right away.