How can I reduce the chance of developing a blood clot following a breast augmentation surgery?

Surgery has a number of risks. As a doctor I make sure to tell my patients about them so they may make an informed choice about surgery. It is also my job to minimize those risks as much as possible. One way is to do a detailed history of patients. This allows my staff and I to categorize the risk patients are at for clots and to take the appropriate actions to minimize them. I use the Caprini score to make decisions about leg compression and duration of blood thinners. The risk of clots in a breast augmentation is typically low. For most patients leg compression and possibly preoperative blood thinners are all that is needed. Getting up and moving around early after surgery is also important. Your doctor can go over your specific risks and make appropriate recommendations. 

Thank you for this important question. You are correct that there is risk with surgery but there are things you can do to minimize the risk of blood clot development. Do not smoke. If you smoke cease all nicotine use several weeks prior to surgery and through recovery. Walk around after your surgery. You will need rest after your surgery but it is important to move around your house as directed by your surgeon. Use deep breathing techniques after surgery. Your surgeon may provide you with a device called an incentive spirometer to help with this, but you can accomplish deep breathing techniques without it as well. These are just a few suggestions. Closely follow your surgeon's advice and advise her/him of any concerns.

Thromboembolic complications with cosmetic breast augmentations are very uncommon, but occasionally encounters.  This procedure is short and not particularly painful and does not limit ambulation, so it is a low risk surgery for most patients.  Patients may be at higher risk if they have a personal or family history of blood clots, smoking, use of estrogens, and certain hyper coagulable conditions such as protein C deficiency, active cancer, and a number of others.  Obesity, certain major surgical procedures and surgery longer than about an hour are also recognized risk factors.  In my practice we utilize compression pneumatic stocking in all such procedures.  If patients are felt to be at higher risk based on a Caprini-type Risk assessment, selective use of blood thinners may be considered as well.  This is something to ask your surgeon about.  You can stop smoking and estrogen supplements/birth control pills, if applicable, to lower your risk. 

Hello, Thank you for your question. Any kind of surgeries include its own risks, as a surgeon I do all required procedures to avoid the blood clots during the surgery. Keep searching for a doctor whom you can totally trust. Before the surgery I recommend my patients to put on the varsity socks and walk around in the room after the surgery. To find out more please click on the attached link. Best Regards 

Reducing risks after breast augmentation surgery is an important question.  Your surgeon should be assessing your individual risk factors to determine if anything other than early ambulation is necessary to reduce your risk for blood clots.  High risk patients may require medication to prevent blood clots and low risk patients can just get up and walking as soon as possible after surgery.

If you have no personal or family history of clotting problems, then the risk of blood clots for this very short procedure is very low.  Many plastic surgeons including me, use risk stratification before, and use sequential compression stockings before, during and after surgery.  If you have a personal or family history of blood clots, then a hematology consultation could be obtained prior to surgery.