How Long Does a Pocket Revision Last if You Are Athletic?

Consult
with your surgeon about the types of activities that are acceptable
post-surgery. It is important that you not engage in strenuous activities in
the first three (2-3) weeks after surgery. My own personal recommendations to my
patients are start walking as much as you want to, as soon as you want to. Then
progress as desired tohigh-reps, low-resistance exercises. Slowly progress for6 weeks, after which time there are no restrictions. I advise my patients torefrain from strenuous physical activitysuch as
heavy lifting with your arms or jogging for 6 weeks. Aerobic exercise will
raise your blood pressure, which could cause late bleeding and harm your
result. Once you begin exercising again, start gently and let your body tell
you what it can tolerate. Don’t rush!! It is important that you follow your
doctor's instructions so that you get the best aesthetic results.#breastrevision
#breastimplants

This is best answered by your Board Certified Plastic Surgeon as they will be the ones to know how much tension you have on the area, and how your healing progress is.

If we assume your implants are under the muscle, then it is likely that one reason your implant moved to the side is because every time the pectoral muscle is flexed, it pushes the implant in that direction. On the other hand, going over the muscle will likely have a fake look. I would recommend 6 weeks before any vigorous physical activity involving the upper body, and consider reinforcing the pocket repair with Strattice for extra insurance. Going smaller is a very good idea too.

It sounds like you will benefit from closing off the space of the breast implant pocket (lateral capsulorrhaphy) on the left side. You are correct in understanding and limiting strenuous activity involving the left arm for at least 2 to 3 months is in your best interest.  Hopefully you can modify your exercise program to avoid recurrence of the implant malposition problem.

It is also important to select a well experienced plastic surgeon who can demonstrate his/her successful surgical results for patients in your situation.

Best wishes.

The tissues that are sutured when downsizing from a larger to a smaller implant size can be easily torn from an early return to activity. While it's my recommendation that patients avoid heavy lifting and  exercises for up to six weeks after a rountine augmentation, I further increase this time interval to 3 months after a revision procedure. I agree that strattice (costly) can further add reinforcement to your revision and will allow you an earlier to return to activity. Because of the associated costs of revision surgery, give yourself a little longer recovery, or alternatively, participate but do so at a lower activity level after your surgery. 

Yes. 5 weeks should be enough recovery but there are NEVER any guarantees. Best to discuss in detail with your chosen surgeon in an informed consent session. 

Often the pocket problems we see are set in motion at the time of the initial breast augmentation because if the implant fits the pocket well and is centered in the breast, the implant should not shift or migrate over time. If the pocket is too large and the tissue lax the implant can slide off to the side, or bottom out. Capsule or pocket repair is effective in centering the implant, though good support with a bra for six weeks, and limited upper body exercise for six to eight should get you off to a good start.

Best of luck,

peterejohnsonmd

Women with breast implants tend to  take good care of their bodies and have a high level of fitness. Your concern about being able to return to vigorous  activity without jeopardizing the result is appropriate.  There are several surgical approaches to revising your pocket to prevent displacement into the armpit.  Closing off the excess space  in the upper chest might include excision  of the capsule  to minimize chance of reopening, The closure could be reinforced with sutures or with a material such as Stratice or Alloderm, as Dr. Baxter suggested.  It might be valuable to release the pectoral muscle in the lower inner quadrant of te dual plane pocket to keep it from powerfully displacing the implant.  Post operatively I would recommend no excercise that uses the pectoralis for six weeks and use of an implant stabilization band . 

I agree totally with Dr. Baxter's comments but I also ask my patients to wear a very specific bra for 3 months night and day and to avoid heavy pec activity for 3 months to lock the implants into their new "home."  It takes 2-3 months for that healing to take place so why risk a recurrence?  Strattice can also help but I would reserve it for a failure of a suture repair in most cases.