How Long is Breast Implants Recovery Time?

Dear Geneseo,Most of my patients are back to work in 3-4 days, however most sit at a desk.  The majority of implants are placed partially under the pectoralis major muscle or in the subfascial plane. The recovery from implants placed over the muscle in the subfascial plane is faster.   I you can go back to work in a "light duty" capacity, or you control the workouts and can avoid having to demonstrate or perform any upper body workout or activities that make you chest bounce for that period of time, then you can consider doing it over winter or spring break. Best of luck. 

Breast augmentation is the most common aesthetic surgical procedure in the United States.  For the majority of patient the surgery and recovery is very straight forward and they are extremely happy with the results.

The surgery is a day procedure, which means that patients go home the same day.  They are then seen the next day or two after their surgery by their physician.  For the first couple of days patients will feel pressure on their chest.  This typically comes from the muscle being stretched by the implant underneath it.  Occasionally patients will feel some burning at the incision, however this is usually minimal.  It also takes patients a day or two to get all of the anesthesia out of their system so that they start feeling more like their normal self.



The tendency is for patients to do to much as they start to feel pretty good after a couple days.  It is important for patients to take it easy for a couple weeks.  They can resume all of their normal daily activities after a week.  And most patients are back to work after several days depending on their specific occupation. 



The breast implants themselves tend to sit a little high the first couple weeks and then settle as the skin and muscle relax and the implants fall into position.  It takes several months for all of the swelling to resolve and the implants to completely settle, however patients already look great after a couple weeks. 



I hope this gives you at least an idea of the general recovery and process of a breast augmentation.  Please consult with your board certified plastic surgeon.  

Breast augmentation is a short surgery which is typically performed as an outpatient. I prefer the patients take a week off from work. At that point they can return to work or school, but should refrain from all vigorous physical activity. At 1 month, they can resume cardio type exercises. At 2 months they can lift weights. It is extremely common to have surgery during Spring Break and Winter Break, returning to school without extra vacation time.  In fact, those are our busiest times of the year!

Everyone recovers a little differently but in general most individuals are able to go back to work within 3-5 days. If you're required to do a lot of activities as a Physical Ed teacher you may need to limit what you do at work for an additional few weeks. 
In general, I advise patients to limit the use of their arms for the first two weeks to weight less than 10lbs. No upper body exercising. It's okay to do gentle range of motion but should keep the shoulders below 90 degrees. 
They can then slowly start doing more but I still advise to limit heavy exercising until 6 weeks. 
I hope this helps. 

Recovery after breast augmentation surgery is dependent on a few factors.1. Location of implant placement. If the implant is placed above the muscle, the recovery can be relatively fast. Patients don't experience nearly as much pain and usually return to work within a few days. That being said, I prefer to place the implant under the muscle in most cases. Implant placement under the muscle has a more cumbersome recovery - typically 1 week. 2. Size of implant - larger implants cause more tissue stretch and therefore may demand a slightly longer recovery period.3. Type of person. Each individual has their own pain threshold. Some patients bounce right back, others tend to take a few more days.For all patients, I have them wait 4-6 weeks before resuming strenuous exercises or physical activity. They can return to work at 1 week. I require limited duty if they are in a profession requiring heavy lifting.I hope this helps.- Dr. Bryson Richards (Board Certified Las Vegas Plastic Surgeon)

As other surgeons have written, it is often possible to return to work within several days of surgery without harming your results, although you WILL still have discomfort at that point. If the implants are placed beneath the pectoral muscle, which involves stretching the muscle away from the chest wall and cutting a portion of the muscle, some pain is inevitable (don't let anyone convince you that you will be "pain free" after a few days). That being said, the pain is often very tolerable at that point, so the decision about returning to work is up to you. I advise my patients that they may return to work after a few days if they must, but that they'll be happier about it and more comfortable if they can take a week off. After a week, you'd likely be walking and moving your arms fairly normally, so that others wouldn't notice. As a phys ed teacher, it may be harder to hide your movement limitations depending on how active you are. For example, rebounding a basketball or serving a tennis ball should probably be delayed until at least 2-3 weeks after surgery.In terms of your appearance, others usually won't notice the change when you are dressed, even with fairly large implants, as long as the clothing is not tight or low-cut. 

Hello!
Breast implant surgery leads to fairly easy recovery. You can shower next day and drive within days of surgery. The restriction is in lifting and upper body exertion - I ask my patients to wait 3-4 weeks before they return to upper body exertional activity. Lower body is fine within a couple of weeks, like a stationary bike or elliptical without arm movement.
Best of luck!

Breast implant surgery recovery time varies with type of procedure performed. In general wound healing takes 2-3 weeks and you can do most normal activities from second week onwards. When the implant is placed behind the muscle, it takes longer to recover and swelling takes few weeks to settle down. When the implant is behind the breast tissue, recovery is quicker. A good surgical bra helps with swelling in post operative period. People do light duties on phased return to work from 1-2 weeks after surgery.

Hello and thank you for this great question. My unique subfascial breast augmentation surgery allows for patients to return to work quicker. Essentially, is someone has a subfascial breast augmentation they can go back to work 3-5 days following the surgery. This approach to one of the world’s most popular cosmetic procedures that allows qualified patients with a minimally invasive, muscle-sparing breast augmentation that reduces both post-operative discomfort and recovery time.

Unlike standard submuscular (dual plane) breast augmentation, where the pectoralis major muscle is partially divided and elevated, this technique is based upon creating a pocket by carefully dissecting the pectoralis fascia (tissue covering the muscle) off of the pectoral-is major muscle.

The implant is then inserted into the pocket created underneath the fascia and breast tissue and is supported by a piece of bio-resorbable mesh which functions as an “internal bra.” It is important to note that this mesh is very safe, completely reabsorbed, and replaced by your own tissues over time. The procedure maximizes the aesthetic outcome by ensuring beautifully shaped breasts.

Thank you for your question.  The recovery time after augmentation is typically one week.  This is associated with the release of the pectoralis muscle to accomadate the breast implant.  Patients typically use some narcotics and/or Tylenol with muscle relaxants for the first week, and then possibly just Tylenol for the second.  I tell my patients no upper body exercise for 4-6 weeks, but walking is fine from immediately after surgery.  Sizing is performed in the office with the use of sizers, and 3D imaging.  Best to speak to a board certified plastic surgeon in person.  All the best,

Hi and thank you for your question.  The typical recovery time for a breast augmentation is less than 1 week but may be closer to a week depending on individual pain tolerance and type of work. Since you teach physical education, I would recommend you take the entire week to be safe. I find that my patients rarely need much pain medication for this type of operation. My patients are cleared to resume all activity at 6 weeks. I hope this helped. Best wishes!