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About the Breast

Recovering From the Procedure

You've completed your reconstruction surgery. Now, help your body heal during the recovery phase.

Rest is the essential. You will probably feel fatigued and sore – which is common, especially if you’ve had reconstruction with implants, you may experience a feeling of tightness in the breast area as your skin adjusts. Your plastic surgeon may also recommend breast massage exercises to help alleviate this. You may need to wear special post-reconstruction breast and chest garments while you recover. Your doctor will provide you with more specific details about the recovery process. Should any problems occur after your surgery, contact your physician immediately. An important note: If you experience fever, or noticeable swelling and/or redness in your breast(s), you should contact your doctor immediately.

Select one of these topics for more information:

Post-surgery garments
Caromed® line of garments

Once you have completed your breast reconstruction surgery, there are special breast and chest garments that will help you recover with more comfort. These include vests, bras and bandeaus specially designed for post-reconstruction recovery.

Caromed® Post Surgery Garments

Our high-quality post-surgery garments provide compression, support and comfort following aesthetic and reconstructive surgery.

Our reconstruction bras provide firm compression and support while you heal.

In addition to a complete line of standard garments, through Caromed® we offer 72-hour turnaround on custom tailoring for specific patient needs. And every Mentor post-surgery garment is made with attention to style, so you can recover beautifully.

Get more information about the Caromed® line of garments.

What Effect Does Smoking Have on the Healing Process After Surgery?

    • Some plastic surgeons may not operate on a smoker, because it can negatively affect the healing process after surgery.
    • Smoking produces nicotine and carbon monoxide, which can cause the blood vessels in your skin to constrict, resulting in poor wound healing.
    • In the setting of a tissue expander, skin on the breast may be compromised and could result in loss of the tissue expander.
    • TRAM flaps in particular may be more likely to have complications in smokers, such as fat necrosis.

How Long Should I Wait to Resume Exercise After Breast Implant Surgery?

    • Work closely with your doctor on when you can go back to work and when and how to resume other activities. Recovery periods vary from woman to woman.
    • It is important not to sweat into the incision while it is healing. Therefore, curtail activity and sun tanning until after the incision is healed and sealed. Don’t over-do activity, especially of the upper body, too early. Let your body rest and heal. You want to minimize swelling around the implant.
    • Be sure you check with your doctor before returning to your workouts. Patients vary greatly in recovery times. Walking is generally recommended to encourage circulation. The larger the implant you receive, the heavier the breast(s) will be. You should wear good support bras while running to minimize pull on the skin and ptosis (drooping) of the breast.

Can I Go to a Tanning Salon or Sunbathe if I Have Breast Implants?

    • There are no serious dangers for women with breast implants who visit tanning salons, infrared saunas or sunbathe. These activities will not hurt the breast implants in any way, but they may make scarring more prominent.

When Can I Fly and/or SCUBA Dive?

    • Once fully recovered, you can feel free to scuba dive and fly in airplanes with some minor considerations since there may be slight expansion and contraction of the shell with changes in pressure.
    • With saline-filled implants, this may result in a minimal amount of air bubbles in the implant, and you may feel or hear fluid sounds (gurgling). This should correct itself within 24 to 48 hours.

When Can I Wear an Underwire Bra Again?

    • Most doctors ask that women wait 3 months before wearing underwire bras after implant surgery. Your body will be forming scar tissue around the implant for during this time and the pressure of the wires could cause the scar tissue to form in such a way that an indentation from the wires could become permanent. After this initial healing time under wire bras should be worn intermittently to avoid permanent indentation.
    • You may need to wear a postoperative bra, compression bandage, or jog bra for extra support and positioning while you heal. (LINK back up to Caromed garment section)

If I Experience a Problem, Should I Report It?

    • Should any problems occur after your surgery, contact your physician immediately.
    • An important note: If you experience fever, or noticeable swelling and/or redness in your breast(s), you should contact your doctor immediately.