Breast Augmentation: Getting Active After Your Surgery

The period of time following breast augmentation can be difficult for many patients. This is especially true of active patients who are used to filling their lives with exercise, work, and other things to keep themselves busy. Being confined to a bed or couch for even a few days can weigh heavily on such a person’s heart. Of course, some relaxing is absolutely necessary for a complete and healthy recovery. Here is a look at how you can return to your active lifestyle after getting implants.

First of all, it should go without saying that you should follow your plastic surgeon’s recommendations explicitly after getting breast augmentation surgery. Do whatever you are told to do, take your medications the way you are supposed to, and don’t try to push your recovery by attempting things you aren’t ready for. This is where many complications arise; patients try to rush it and wind up setting themselves back even further.

Drinking lots of water in the week after your surgery can help tremendously when it comes to expediting your recovery process. Juices and clear sodas can also be a boost, if you don’t like the idea of drinking plain water. On a related note, you should avoid smoking cigarettes during your recovery time, as it can hinder your blood vessels from working properly and getting the needed nutrition and medication to the incision sites. As far as eating goes, don’t overdo it for the first few days. Try to eat some light meals, especially when you take any pain medication you might be on, but too much could easily lead to nausea. It also takes a great deal of blood to put your food through the digestive process, and you need this blood to concentrate on the healing areas.

Most doctors advise waiting a few days to a week before returning to work. This may be revised, depending on the type of work you do. Someone with a desk job can return to work rather more quickly than someone who cuts down trees for a living. Talk to your doctor about the type of work you do and he will be able to give you a better, more specific parameter about when it is okay to clock back in. It may be helpful to have this conversation prior to the surgery so you can make the necessary arrangements for time off.

Most of all, this is an important time to listen to your body. Those who have an active gym lifestyle are used to “pushing through the pain” to achieve greater results. This can be beneficial when it comes to meeting fitness goals, but recovering from breast augmentation surgery is a completely different concept. You aren’t going to cause the tissue to heal faster by pushing yourself to the limit. You will, however, likely cause tears and create the risk of infections by pushing back the recovery process. Take it easy, and let both your doctor and your body tell you when it’s time to get active.