Is It Normal to Feel a Bloated in Stomach After Breast Aug?

Anesthesia drugs can decrease normal GI tract function, and even as they wear off, narcotic pain medications and reduced activities can slow intestinal movement of food and gas through the gut. Bloating and constipation result. Laxatives stimulate peristalsis, but may not work uniformly in all areas of the GI tract, leaving cramps and a more bloated feeling. Try to stop your pain pills as soon as possible. Tylenol will not disturb gut function!

The second cause of that bloated feeling is actual fluid swelling from your chest and breasts moving by gravity (as you are upright most of the day) towards your abdomen, hips, and eventually legs. This can add to an already bloated feeling.

Do not restrict fluids or take "water pills;" you need to stay hydrated to return to normal bowel function. Be up and active (do not exercise) as movement helps restore gut function. Take stool softeners and go easy on the stimulants (laxatives).

Relax; this will pass in another day or two. If your bowels have not returned to normal function by day 6, you should call your doctor. Best wishes!

Thank you for your question.  The bloating that you are experiencing is most likely related to post-op swelling.  Keeping yourself well-hydrated by drinking plenty of water and gatorade, promoting good circulation by walking around frequently and going to the bathroom as normal should help reduce this.  Anesthesia and pain medication can also slow ones GI tract and cause a bloated or constipated feeling.  I typically recommend that my patients take a mild stool softener 48-72 hours after their procedure if they have yet to have a normal bowl movement, but I would recommend that you consult with your operating surgeon before taking anything to facilitate this.  Remember, any concerns should be addressed with your doctor and the best way to assess your needs is following up with your doctor for an in-person evaluation.  Best of luck!

It is not uncommon to be bloated (or constipated) and to retain fluids after having a surgery performed under general anesthesia. Anesthesia, painkillers, antibiotics may cause such occurrences. It is recommended to drink plenty of water, eat healthy and move around a little to help your bowel movements and bodily functions get back to normal.Hope this helps,Ali Rıza Öreroğlu, MD FEBOPRASEuropean and Turkish Board Certified Aesthetic, Plastic and Reconstructive SurgeonIstanbul, Turkey

Abdominal bloating after surgery can be normal the body normally retains fluid you have to give it time for swelling to go down. also, pain medication can cause bloating and constipation. 

After any surgical procedure, temporary "bloating" is not at all uncommon for many reasons. Even when the surgical site is remote from the abdomen, the systemic effects of anesthesia, pain meds (especially narcotics), lack of appetite, dehydration and inactivity can all lead to temporary bloating or obstipation. "It will pass" :-) The best treatment is tincture of time along with lots of fluids, increasing activity, limiting pain meds as well as over the counter remedies such as certain foods (fiber, prune juice) and gentle laxatives such as metamucil or miralax.

So glad you asked.  So  - breast augmentation surgery has absolutely no effect upon your stomach...  but...  the narcotic pain meds that you take - vicodin - dilaudid - percocet - will make you constipated and bloated!!  So whenever you take narcotics always take stool softeners as well; to avoid the associated bloating and constipation.

What yo describe is perfectly normal and part of my usual advice I provide to all my patients regarding bloating and weight gain.Constipation and the associated bloating is an unpleasant possible issue in the first week or two after surgery. This is typically caused by the pain killers used during and after surgery which cause constipation and bloating. Also, being less mobile after surgery exacerbates this. So have plenty of fluids and fibre, and take additional products to help keep you regular such as Metamucil. This will definitely pass.WEIGHT GAIN is another important thing to be aware of. After surgery you will be less active than
normal - burning less calories. You will be at home more and likely eating more
than usual - consuming more calories. Therefore, it is very easy and common to
put in weight in the early stages after surgery. At a time when you should be
feeling happy and have a boost in your confidence, you can easily be a little
upset over weight gain. So understanding these issues is generally the best way of trying to avoid them....or at least minimise them.

Thank you for your question. Abdominal swelling is normal after breast augmentation. Swelling follows gravity and thus your abdomen (and sometimes the thighs) will experience more swelling and add confusion to the post-op period. You may even notice that you've added many pounds on the scale that cannot be explained solely by the addition of implants. You should notice a decrease in the abdominal swelling with each week that passes by.

Without examining you it is difficult to say what is causing your bloating. However, the narcotics that patients take post surgery can cause the patient to become constipated. This might be one cause for your bloating. Best to call your surgeons office and let them know your concerns. 

It’s not unusual for patients to have a sensation of
bloating following breast augmentation surgery.This can occur for several reasons including localized swelling in the
upper abdomen and constipation from narcotics use. When
patients undergo breast augmentation, they typically develop swelling in the
lower chest and upper abdomen from the surgical dissection.In most cases, this swelling resolves in 5 to
7 days following surgery.Patients
also frequently develop constipation and bloating from narcotic pain
relievers.For this reason, patients
should maintain hydration, ambulate frequently and switch to nonnarcotic pain
relievers as soon as possible.In some
cases, laxatives may be necessary as well.

Good question. It is normal to experience Bloating After a Breast
Augmentation procedure. Keep in mind that your stomach may react due to all the
medications in your system including the general anesthesia, pain
medications and antibiotics. In the next few days after the procedure, your
body will filter out the medications and your stomach will return to normal.
Please contact your surgeon immediately if symptoms persist longer than a week.
I hope this has helped.