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BREAST AUGMENTATION / LIFT

Post-Operative Instructions after Breast
augmentation / lift

1. Sleeping in an upright reclined position for 1 week after surgery.

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2. No heavy lifting for 4-6 weeks. No upper body activity for 4-6 weeks.

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3. No reaching out or above your shoulders for 1-2 weeks.

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4. Keep your hands and elbows to your side for 1 week.

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5. No driving for 1 week post Breast Augmentation surgery or until off narcotic pain medication completely and can respond to an emergency.

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6. Please take the medications as directed. Antibiotic medication is for 3 days, pain, nausea and Valium medication are taken as needed. Never on an empty stomach and always space out the medications.


7. Constipation is very common due to the pain medication and anesthesia, please use Colace over the counter or any laxative that has worked with you in the past. You may start taking something to help prevent constipation 2-3 days post surgery. If the Colace does not work, you may take Magnesium Citrate over the counter.

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8. If you develop a rash or think you are having an allergic reaction to the medication please call our office immediately. Sometimes Benadryl will help.

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9. No upper body exercises for 4-6 weeks post breast augmentation surgery

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10. No ocean water or pool water for 8 weeks post surgery or until the incision is fully healed.

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11. No tanning or sun exposure to the incision until the your incision has healed completely.

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12. Please do not put scar creams or ointments on the incision immediately after surgery, you may irritate the area or cause an allergic reaction.

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13. You may expect to be swollen for a few weeks. This is why it will also take time for the breast to reach their final shape and size. It takes time for the implants to settle into their pockets. We will show you some breast massage that will help the implants settle. Normally patients will start their breast massages around 1 week post surgery.

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14. After surgery you will have dressings, surgical bra, possible sutures, stockings provided to you. Please leave everything on until we see you, which is usually 1 day post surgery. The Surgical bra strap band (breast stabilizer) should be placed high over the breast. This should be worn when you have high-riding of the breast implants. Typically high-riding of the breast implants may resolve after 4-6 weeks (even up to 6 months). This should be worn daily (24/7) based on your plastic surgeon’s instructions.

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15. If you do have sutures that need to be removed and you will be staying in town for us to remove for you then we might apply steri strips. Steri trips may be removed 2 weeks after surgery. You may use gauze and a little bit of peroxide to loosen the strips and then gently remove. Keep the incision dry as much as possible and wait before using anything for the incision.

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16. Wear the surgical bra for a total of 4 weeks. You may wear a comfortable sports bra after you get rid of your surgical bra.

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17. I do not recommend underwire bras for at least 3 months after surgery.

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18. If there is redness on the incision line and if you start having fever (T>100.4 degrees F), please call Dr. De La Cruz.

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19. Incision lines and final results may take up to about a year. Sometimes sutures take time to dissolve, and sometimes you may have them reach the surface.

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20. Start breast massage after the third day of surgery. I recommend doing this daily.

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