How long does pain last after breast augmentation?

Question

I went in for a breast augmentation 4 days ago. Today makes day 3 post op. I am 19, 5'6, 125 lbs and was originally a 32b. My surgeon did 300cc (L) and 340cc (R) under muscle. I've been taking my meds religiously but my pain level seems to be staying same. How long can i expect to feel such discomfort?

Austin Hayes, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question and congratulations on your surgery! If you have concerns, make sure to reach out your surgeon for recommendations. It's important to know that the pain after breast augmentation varies between each woman and depends on their implant size, tightness of their chest muscles and their specific surgeon's technique and post-operative instructions. In my office, about 50% of my patients will only take ibuprofen and they get back to most day-to-day activities within one to two days. Many report "having more soreness from a chest workout" then they did from surgery. However, soreness does linger for the first one to two weeks. Even though the soreness has gone away, it's still important to give your body time to heal. I ask my patients not to participate in cardio for the first four weeks and to avoid heavy lifting, push-ups, planks and burpees for the first six weeks.

Farbod Esmailian, MD · Answer

Everyone has different pain thresholds, some lower and some higher.  Generally, with an atraumatic dissection/procedure, most patients do well with muscle relaxants and possibly extra strength tylenol.  Although I do prescribe narcotic pain medication, it is unusual for my patients to need them.There is tightness and feeling of pressure which will resolve over time and will improve with the breast massages.  Some patients describe the sensation of sharp and tingling discomfort through one breast or both and sometimes neither.  That is typically described as nerve pain, and most medications out there will not completely remove that feeling.  Breast implant massaging will help with that.  Before you start implant massages, I would always make certain that your surgeon wants you to massage and that they have instructed you the way he/she wants it done.Hope that helps.

Gary Lawton, MD, FACS · Answer

The pain will last 7 days or so at this level but everyone is different.After
breast implant surgery, I advise the patients to take one week off from work.
 At that point we take out their stitches and teach them the implant
massage technique.  We suggest 5 times per day with the massage and no bra
for one month.  The patients may return to work, but may not engage in any
strenuous activity.  At one month, the patients start to wear a soft cup
bra with no underwire and can start low impact cardio.  At two months they
can wear an underwire bra and engage in more strenuous physical activity.
 Breast massage continues forever, although only once per day.

Larry S. Nichter, MD, MS, FACS · Answer

The final appearance, shape, and movement are not exactly the same as normal breasts. The surgically enlarged breasts do not move in the same way as normal breasts. They tend to be firmer. The contours are usually somewhat different than normal breasts. In some patients these discrepancies may be rather noticeable. Although every effort is made to place the implants symmetrically, complete symmetry is rarely achieved. Immediately after surgery, the breasts are swollen and firmer. The final shape and size is approximated after 2 to 3 months, but up to one year may be required for the end result.

Emmanuel Mallol Cotes, MD · Answer

Thanks for the question. Its normal the swelling and pain at this point of your post op. In my practice, after performing a BA I recommend to my patients to limit the movement of the arms for two weeks. After that, you can move your arms taking care and always with common sense. In this regard, it's not advisable to carry heavy weights to prevent the implant out of position, and allow the formation of the physiological capsule around the implant, also to avoid pain and breast swelling.Kind regards,Dr. Emmanuel Mallol.-

Nelson Castillo, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question and congratulations on your surgery.  Unfortunately each patient heals differently after surgery but in most cases breast augmentation patients can wean themselves off of narcotics within 5 days of surgery and transition to anti-inflammatories.  Pain from surgery is often multifactorial and results from the skin incision, implant pocket dissection, and breast skin / chest muscle swelling.  These all will improve with time as healing progresses so hang in there and make sure to follow up closely with your surgeon to ensure an uncomplicated recovery.  Hope this helps.

Jeffrey M. Darrow, MD · Answer

I tell my patients they should expect 3-5 days of discomfort that will require prescription pain medication after their breast augmentation.  Most discomfort occurs when most swelling is present and this is in the 1st 5 days.  Be sure in addition to your medication you are icing the areas, minimizing your arm movement.  After 5 or so days the pain will gradually start to fade away till at 2 weeks you should be feeling close to normal.  Most surgeons avoid NSAIDS around the time of surgery for fear of bleeding, but check with your surgeon if after 5 days you could add these to your medications.  This may be beneficial.

Paul Banwell, BSc, FRCS(Plast) · Answer

Thank you for your enquiryThe majority of patients will have pain and discomfort following their surgery for at least 2 weeks. As you are only a few days post-op I would say this is quite normal. Take things easy, avoid lifting and take your pain killers regularly as directed by your plastic surgeon.The discomfort should lessen over time but if you have concerns contact your doctor's team directlyGood luck!

Sherif Wilson, FRCS (Plast) · Answer

It is important to appreciate that pain after breast augmentation varies depend on whether the implant was placed under the muscle ( more painful) or on top of the muscle ( less painful). In the majority of patient the patient settles within 2 weeks but some patient experience pain for a bit longer.

Amira Sanki, MBBS Hons, FRACS, PhD · Answer

Hi, firstly let me reassure you that most young women who have not previously breast fed and get sub pectoral implants experience a significant amount of pain post operatively. This pain is mostly related to the sudden stretching of your muscle and breast skin over the implant. It will take a few weeks to subside, but it should improve just a little bit day by day. I would suggest taking regular pain relief that includes an anti-inflammatory as well as an opiod. I usually also prescribe something to relax your chest muscles (in Australia, we use diazepam which is a mild sleeping tablet). It is also important to take something to keep your bowels going, as most opioids constipate. Let your doctor know that you are struggling to stay on top of your pain. It is important to get on top of your pain early so that it does not turn into a chronic problem and also so you can sleep, move and feel normal. Pain is painful, but it also makes us grumpy and anxious.

How long does pain last after breast augmentation?

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