Breast | Breast Augmentation Recovery

"I am SO very happy and relieved with the results of my surgery and I owe my piece of mind to Dr. Rady Rahban. If you are seeking an EXTRAORDINARY, talented surgeon who has your best interests at heart, please visit Dr. Rady Rahban and his staff. You will be in stellar hands!"L.T.

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Breast Augmentation Recovery

Recovering from breast augmentation actually begins several weeks prior to surgery. Patients are encouraged to take steps to ensure that surgery and recovery is free of complications by

• Stopping medication such as blood thinners unless under a doctor’s care
• Quitting smoking for at least a month prior to surgery and continuing for several weeks after
• Refraining from alcohol as advised by Dr. Rahban
• Taking prescribed antibiotics and anti nausea medication as directed by Dr. Rahban
• Following directions concerning eating and drinking the night before surgery

Day of Surgery

You will be escorted to the pre-op area where you will change into a surgical gown and be made comfortable. Dr. Rahban will see you to answer any last minute questions and to see that you are ready for surgery. You will be taken into the operating room, administered anesthetic and wake up in the recovery room a few hours later.

As you will have both the general and local anesthetic in your system, you will be pain free when you wake up. You will be wearing a surgical bra and your breasts will be bandaged. Once you are fully recovered from the anesthetic, you will be released into the care of a friend or family member. Your post operative instructions will be sent home with you as well as your pain medication.

First Week Following Surgery

You should take it very easy the first few days, getting as much rest as possible. Leave the bandages in place for the first week and resist the urge to clean the incisions. Dr. Rahban has placed sterile bandages over the sterile incisions and you will be taking antibiotics. Disturbing the bandages and washing the incision will only introduce bacteria into the area, which can cause infection. Infection is one of the causes of poor scar formation.

The pain level the first week should be mild to moderate. If you require more pain management, call our office. There will be swelling and fullness in the upper breast as the implants start to settle. It will take up to three months for the implants to fully settle, but improvement will be noticed after the first few weeks.

At the one week mark, you will see Dr. Rahban, who will examine your incisions to ensure all is well, answer any questions you may have and give you further instructions on how to care for your incisions going forward. There is a written scar protocol, which you should follow as closely as possible. This is your best insurance for a thin, almost invisible scar.

Two Weeks Following Surgery

Usually after two weeks, pain is significantly less. If your job is not physically demanding, you should be able to return to work after the first week. Check with Dr. Rahban if your job is physically demanding before returning to work.

The surgical bra will be worn constantly for the first six weeks to ensure the implants settle properly. It can be removed for showering. The bra does not have wires or anything that could interfere with blood flow and is designed to assist with the healing rather than supporting the breasts. Resist the urge to wear a new bra until advised.

You will see Dr. Rahban at the two week mark to check that the incisions are healing well and to see how you are coping with your daily life. He will focus more on wound care issues to make sure you understand how to care for the incisions. This is a vital aspect of care at this point as successful scarring, or lack of scarring, stems from proper wound care to a great degree.

Out of town patients usually return home after their two week check up.

What you can expect in your Initial Consultation:

If you are considering this procedure, please come in for a consultation with Dr. Rahban. You can expect your initial exam and consultation to take an hour or more. In your consultation, Dr. Rahban will:

Six Weeks to Three Months

Scars are well healed by the six week mark, although they will appear red and inflamed for quite some time as the body goes through the healing process. Pain should be totally gone and other than activities requiring lying on your stomach, you should be able to return to all previous activities.

The implants will have settled considerably but it will be several months before they have completely settled and attained the teardrop shape. You can now buy new bras.

Three Months to One Year

You can now enjoy the result of your breast augmentation as your implants will be settled and all the swelling should be gone. The incisions may still be slightly red because they are still healing. but as time goes on, these incisions will subside into a thin, light colored scar that will be almost invisible.

You will see Dr. Rahban for the final appointment at the one year mark. He will examine the scars and the integrity of the implants and hear how you have been enjoying your new look.

The final appointment is not the last time you will be able to ask Dr. Rahban for help with your implants. He and his office staff are always available to answer questions that arise and are always happy to hear from his patients.