Breast Implant Surgery: What To Expect Before And After

Breast implant surgery is one of the most common cosmetic procedures. It can augment the size of a person's existing breasts or replace breasts that have been surgically removed (mastectomy) as a result of cancer. Your breast implant surgeon will help you decide on the type, size, and shape of the implant that is best suited for your individual situation. Here are some things to expect before and after your breast implant surgery.

Before Breast Implant Surgery

Prior to your breast surgery, you may need to have a mammogram, which is an x-ray of the breasts. This is to make sure that you do not have any preexisting diseases such as breast cancer, suspicious calcium deposits,  or severe fibrocystic breast disease that may complicate your implant surgery. Your breast surgeon may also order routine blood tests such as a chemistry profile and complete blood count prior to your surgery to help ensure that you do not have any platelet or clotting disorders that might cause excessive intraoperative bleeding. 

Because you will be under general anesthesia for your surgery, it will be necessary to avoid eating and drinking after midnight on the day of your procedure. This is to help lower the risk of aspirating food and liquids into your lungs during your surgery. 

After Breast Implant Surgery

You may experience mild postoperative discomfort which will be managed with prescription pain medications. You may also have some minor difficulty raising your arms over your head after your surgery, however, over time, this will resolve. You will be given an instruction sheet following your discharge from the hospital which will show you how to do your postoperative arm exercises. Performing your exercises will help improve your mobility and promote circulation to help enhance healing.

Your instruction sheet will also list the signs and symptoms of an infection that you should be on the lookout for. These may include green or yellow drainage, increased bleeding or pain, and a bad odor coming from your surgical incision. In addition to local infections of the surgical sites, you will also need to be aware of systemic infection signs and symptoms such as fever, chills, muscle pain, and fatigue.

If you develop a postoperative infection call your surgeon as soon as possible so that antibiotic therapy can be implemented as soon as possible. Your postoperative instructions will also state that you should avoid heavy lifting and strenuous activity for up to a couple of weeks after your procedure. After a couple of weeks, your surgical incisions should be just about healed.

If you are anticipating a future breast implant surgery, consider the above factors. When you follow your doctor's preoperative and postoperative recommendations, you may be more likely to enjoy an event-free recovery period.