Most all surgical procedures have a post-operative activity recommendation to maximize the healing and recovery process as well as minimizing complications. This is especially true for cosmetic surgical procedures including breast augmentation.
In today’s culture many people devote a specific amount of time in their lives two physical activity – and rightfully so. Daily physical activity and being conscientious about one’s weight prolongs life, improved appearance, and creates an overall feeling of well-being.
In other words, working out, going to the gym, cardiovascular and weight training are very popular throughout the world. We now must gauge our postoperative activity recommendations accordingly. Every cosmetic procedure has its own postoperative recommendations. I emphasize recommendations because these activity restrictions, and guidelines will maximize the healing process. And, create hopefully the best possible results and minimize the risk of complications.
Breast Augmentation
About breast augmentation the philosophy of postoperative recovery has changed significantly since the first breast implants were inserted decades ago. Remember all plastic surgery procedures have several risks in common. This risk shared by most all procedures, and especially breast augmentations include bleeding and infection.
Also, there are more and more female bodybuilders and weightlifters who desire larger from her breasts. The fundamental principle is the same. Delayed resuming of full gym and physical activity is in the best interest of the post-operative breast augmentation patient. It takes time for these new essentially foreign objects to settle in the body and therefore resuming full working out regimens is not of the best interest of this process.
In our practice we use compression garments and special types of bras to hold the implants in place and help to minimize the potential for postoperative bleeding or hematoma. Eight weeks of guarded upper body activity is recommended.
Stationary bike without arm motions can be used to maintain cardiovascular fitness to some degree without jeopardizing the breast augmentation result in guarding against hematoma. Once the eight weeks has passed, we generally can resume upper body activity including weightlifting.
Keep in mind that there have been reported cases of hematoma months after insertion of breast implants. Breast augmentation is one of the most common sought after and most aesthetically pleasing surgical procedures offered by plastic surgery.
THOMAS TREVISANI, MD
BOARD-CERTIFIED PLASTIC SURGEON
MEMBER OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF AESTHETIC PLASTIC SURGERY
