Managing Pain After Your Breast Reduction
Pain is a natural consequence of almost every type of surgery, something that doesn’t come as a surprise to most prospective breast reduction patients. Recovery from your procedure can be a frustrating process as you manage your pain and discomfort. Luckily, healing is something the body can do very well and fairly quickly if you give it the support it needs. Learn more about what kind of pain to expect, what methods can help you alleviate post-surgical discomfort, and how long your recovery will last following your breast reduction procedure.
How Painful Is Breast Reduction Surgery?
Every patient has her own level of pain tolerance, so it’s difficult to pinpoint exactly how much pain anyone might experience following this procedure. Most surgeons say that pain is mild to moderate for the majority of their patients. Pain and discomfort of some degree should be anticipated, although you will be given the tools and strategies to minimize these unwanted side effects. Working with an experienced, board certified plastic surgeon is the first step toward a smooth recovery process with minimized pain.
One important thing to note about breast reduction surgery is that it does not involve any muscle work. Because the surgical changes are made to fat, skin, and tissue, but not muscle, breast reduction is relatively less painful than other body contouring or breast surgeries.
How Long Will Pain and Recovery Last?
Most patients experience the worst part of their pain from two to four days after their surgery, at which point they should begin to notice lessening of their discomfort every successive day. In fact, you should notice a sudden relief to much of your post-surgical pain somewhere around the end of your first week of recovery. It is much more common to experience a feeling of soreness rather than sharp, intense pain. Most patients find that they can rest throughout the most difficult part of their recovery to alleviate some of the general discomfort.
Your full recovery process can last several weeks, but will be based on your own surgical and personal circumstances. Most patients can expect recovery to last between one and two weeks, during which time rest and relaxation are a must. You will not be able to return to work for several days, as determined by your plastic surgeon, but most patients can go back within 10 days. Talk about your plans for recovery when you meet for your breast reduction consultation.
What Strategies Can Lessen Pain After Breast Reduction?
During your recovery time, there are several things you can do to alleviate some of your discomfort and make yourself much more comfortable at home. Prepare what you’ll need to have on hand to try these strategies out during your recovery time:
- Fill your pain medication prescription and use as directed. Don’t be brave and try to skip doses for the first few days of recovery, since increased discomfort can put stress on the body and could delay healing.
- Stay off your feet. Get as much rest as possible during the early days of recovery. Letting your body get the rest it needs can help you to feel better much faster, so don’t push yourself to walk around too much and don’t do any activities you aren’t allowed to do.
- Use cold compresses as directed. Cold is essential to relieving swelling, bruising, and soreness from the post-surgical area. Talk to your surgeon about how often and how long you can apply cold compresses each day.
Plan Your Breast Reduction Consultation Today
To plan a breast reduction surgery with long-lasting and natural-looking results, consult with an expert. Dr. Ronald Lohner is an experienced, board certified plastic surgeon based in Philadelphia who offers customized procedures to his patients after a one-on-one consultation. He completed his undergraduate education at Dartmouth College and medical school at UMDNJ-Rutgers. Currently, Dr. Lohner is Chief of Plastic Surgery at Bryn Mawr Hospital and holds a faculty appointment at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. His peers have selected him as a Philadelphia-area Top Doctor for the last eight years. His office is located at [primary_address] in [primary_city], [primary_statefull], on the Main Line. Please call his office at [primary_phone] to schedule a consultation for your liposuction procedure.