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How to care for your breasts after breast reduction surgery


Introduction
Breast reduction surgery is used to make the breasts smaller if they are excessively large. The procedure is used to lessen the discomforts caused by huge breasts. When the breasts grow out of proportion, it can cause pain in different areas of the body. The condition can also limit your ability to perform certain activities. Furthermore, it can cause self-esteem issues for the patient.
Breast reduction surgery, also known as reduction mammoplasty, decreases the breast size and weight by removing some portion of the breast tissue, fat, and skin. The procedure involves incisions and is quite traumatic, but it has an excellent record of delivering effective outcomes. To achieve the desired improvements smoothly and safely, the patient must start caring for the breasts right after the procedure.

Breast reduction aftercare
Breast reduction is a major plastic surgery procedure. To understand why it is essential to care for your breasts after the surgery, you should first understand how the procedure is performed. Breast reduction surgery is performed under general anesthesia. The plastic surgeon will begin the operation by placing incisions on the breasts. The surgeon will then use the incisions to remove the excess glandular tissue, which is a leading cause of the development of excessively large breasts.
After removing the tissue, the plastic surgeon will then carefully remove the excess fat from the breasts that is yet another major cause of enlargement of the breasts. When the excess tissue and fat is removed, it will leave the excess skin on the breasts. To avoid sagging after the surgery, the doctor will excise some portion of the skin so that your breasts can appear firmer after the procedure.
After removing the excess skin, the surgeon will re-drape the remaining skin and then suture and close the incisions. Your recovery will begin immediately and will continue for many weeks. It is crucial for the patient to follow the instructions for the recovery. The doctor will provide you the instructions before you leave from the hospital. You can ask the surgeon to give you tips for a smooth and safe recovery, such as.

- Wear the surgical compression bras
Women who get breast reduction surgery are required to wear a particular type of bra called a surgical compression bra or support bra for many weeks following the operation. You should avoid wearing regular bras and instead follow the surgeon’s instructions and wear the surgical bras. These bras are devised to provide extra support to your breasts until they heal.
Your breasts will be swollen for many weeks and even months after the surgery. The surgical bras help decrease the swelling, besides speeding up healing of the incisions. Moreover, these bras hold your newly operated breasts in place until they gain the strength to stay in the intended position and look aesthetically pleasing.

- Breast Augmentation must rest in bed for the first two weeks following the operation. Since the incisions are fragile, physical movements may cause complications like incision splitting. It takes about two weeks for the surgical wounds to heal partially. You should spend most of your time resting, instead of doing physical activities. Complete recovery takes about six weeks, and it is vital for the patient to avoid physically demanding activities during this period. Do not do workouts, jogging, weight lifting, etc. during this time.
When it comes to driving, you should avoid it for three weeks after the procedure. Sexual intercourse should also be avoided for six weeks. These activities tend to apply pressure and strain to your breasts, which can lead to aesthetic and health complications. You may take a shower once a day after the surgical dressing has been removed from your breasts. The bandages are removed usually after one week. When it comes to work, you can resume it two weeks after the surgery. However, if your work involves physically strenuous activities, you should take more time off work.

- Diet and maintaining a stable weight
What you eat and drink can affect the breasts during the recovery period and even afterward. After the surgery, you must avoid junk and other unhealthy foods. Instead, eat vegetables, protein, and fruits. Weight gain after the surgery may make your breasts large again. Also, be sure to drink plenty of water during the recovery period. A healthy and balanced diet after the surgery will help your breasts heal quickly. It will also keep your breasts in shape.

- Medicines
After the surgery, the plastic surgeon may prescribe some medicines. He will also instruct you as to when you can resume taking any previous medications that he advised you to avoid during the recovery period and before the surgery. Be sure to take the medicines according to the doctor’s instructions. The surgeon may also tell you to take painkillers and antibiotics for a few days after the surgery. Taking the medication according to the surgeon’s instructions will help you achieve the desired improvements in your breasts more safely and smoothly.

- Caring for the incisions
Breast reduction surgery involves incisions on the breasts. It is essential to care for the incisions so that the breasts can remain safe from complications like infections and wound dehiscence. The plastic surgeon will provide you with details instructions about how to care for the incisions. You must not engage in physically strenuous activities that can result in wound splitting. Also, do not touch the incisions or allow any person except the medical staff to touch the incisions. Always keep the incisions and the breasts clean.

- Avoid smoking
If you are a smoker, the surgeon will ask you to stop smoking at least two weeks before the surgery. You must also avoid smoking throughout the recovery period. Smoking slows down the healing process and can create complications. Smoking has been linked to blood coagulation, which is more probable during the recovery period. When blood coagulation occurs, it can stop the flow of blood and nutrients to the incisions, which can in turn hamper the healing process and even trigger the development of abnormal scars.

- Post-operative swelling
The postoperative swelling is a normal side effect of the procedure. It merely shows that your body is taking action against the surgical trauma that the breasts have gone through. The swelling will gradually disappear in the weeks and months following the operation. The results of the surgery will become prominent when the swelling has vanished. In rare cases, the swelling may not subside but increase over time. If this is coupled with pain in the breasts, it may indicate an underlying complication like an infection. If you experience these symptoms after the surgery, you should contact your plastic surgeon.

- Sleeping after the surgery
The first three weeks after the surgery are critical to the recovery process. During this period, you must sleep on your back and avoid sleeping with your face down. When you sleep with your face down, it can apply strain and pressure to the breasts. As a result, the surgical wounds may split open and trigger health and aesthetic complications.

- Avoiding seroma and hematoma
Seroma is a condition whereby fluids discharged at the incision site get trapped under the skin, whereas hematoma happens when the blood released at the incision site seeps under the skin and become clotted. The plastic surgeon can help you avoid these problems by placing drain cannulas at the incision site. The cannulas will drain away the fluids and blood discharged at the surgical wound, preventing seroma and hematoma.

- Exercises
Exercises are not allowed for the first six weeks following the operation because it can exert strain on the incisions and lead to problems like incision opening, bleeding, and infection. However, it is vital for the patient to resume physical exercises six weeks after the procedure. Exercise is important to keep your breasts in shape in the long term. When you engage in workouts, it helps prevent weight gain that can start the growth of large breasts again.

Conclusion
If your breasts have enlarged to the extent that it is creating physical and emotional pain for you, you may consider getting breast reduction surgery. The procedure effectively reduces the breast size and alleviates the associated pain by removing the excess glandular tissue, fat, and skin from the breasts. The procedure is highly invasive and involves trauma. It also entails many risks and complications. To avoid the risks, you must follow the surgeon’s advice. It is vital to care for your breasts after breast reduction surgery. Not doing so can lead to aesthetic and health complications. In this article, I have explained what you should do to care for your breasts following the operation. Be sure to follow these tips to get satisfactory and safe outcomes with the procedure.