subject: Optimal Breast Augmentation Recovery [print this page] Every surgeon will have pre-surgery instructions for his or her patients as well as instructions for enhancing the recovery process. The best patient will heed her surgeon's instructions to the letter and not deviate from them. Believe it or not, quite a few women pay for a plastic surgery procedure and undergo the entire process of preparation and the actual surgery itself only to fail to follow her surgeon's guidance when it comes to the recovery process.
Nowadays, it's almost too easy for a woman to get breast implants. All she has to do is plunk down some cash and hire a plastic surgeon to perform the procedure. At that point, the success of the surgery itself is predominately in her surgeon's hands - all his years of study, training, and surgical experience will aid him in performing a perfect surgery for her body. The next step of the procedure is the part that requires her active participation: the recovery process.
The primary responsibility a woman has when it comes to recovering from surgery is to provide the ideal conditions for her body to fully heal. That includes plenty of rest, plenty of water, and zero rigorous exercise. Doesn't sound too difficult, does it? The body is a miraculous machine; it can heal itself of almost any calamity as long as it has ideal conditions from which to work. Essentially, when you're recovering from surgery, don't get in the way of your body as it heals itself!
The first few days after your surgery will be the most miserable. You'll need complete bed rest. You shouldn't be doing anything at all except watching television, drinking water, and taking your medications as prescribed. Also, this shouldn't need to be said, but you will need to avoid lifting your arms above shoulder level at all cost! Unnecessarily stretching your sutures could tear them as well as impede your body's healing process.
Outside of bed rest, plenty of water, and taking your medication as prescribed, there are a few other things you should avoid while recovering from your surgery. The number one habit to avoid is smoking. In fact, if you are a smoker, your surgeon will most likely have forewarned you about smoking prior to surgery and smoking during your recovery process. Smoking will hinder your body's recovery process in a few ways: it weakens your immune system, chokes your body's circulation, and destroys your skin elasticity. If you have been a heavy smoker throughout your life, there is a slight chance your surgeon will reject you for the surgery altogether because your skin won't be able to fully recover from invasive surgery.
You will need to avoid exercise altogether until your surgeon says otherwise. Your body needs to be allowed to heal itself, and any type of physical activity could cause unnecessary complications and/or impede the healing process.
During the first week or so of recovery, you will need a friend or family member to be near your side. He or she should be available at all hours of the day in the event that you need help of any sort. Don't be afraid to allow this person to pamper you - your recovery time is not the time to be a super hero! Stay in bed and rest for that first week, and you'll help your body's healing process more than you know.
Your full recovery could take six months or longer. Your surgeon will guide you during that time. He or she will let you know when it's ok for you to return to work and at what point you can start exercising again. Don't be stubborn - listen to your surgeon and follow his guidance to the letter!
To learn more about breast augmentation surgery and its recovery, you'll need to speak to a licensed, practicing plastic surgeon. Try to find one that is board-certified in the procedure.
