One question I get asked often from my patients prior to their breast augmentation procedure is how much pain they should expect, and therefore the types of activities they’ll be able to do in the first one to two weeks following their surgery. In the article and video below I touch on this topic to help address some of those concerns.
How much pain will I have after my breast augmentation surgery?
I get asked this question quite often. So most of my patients would really just need a bit of Panadol plus or minus a bit of regular Nurofen to go home with in the first week, to control their pain, sometimes for an extra week, making it up to around two weeks after the procedure.
It’s very uncommon for any of my patients to require any stronger medications during that time, but sometimes you might need some small amounts of stronger pain relief in the first few days after your operation as breakthrough, particularly at night-time when you’re about to go to sleep just to make it a little bit more comfortable.
I would find that as my patients wear their compression garments that they would be better controlling their pain in that regard because the compression allows us to keep the swelling under cheque, and paradoxically, if you don’t wear a compression bra the more swelling you are going to experience and the swelling is going to certainly aggravate the pain.
Can I move my arms after my surgery?
Yes, you can put your arms up after the operation particularly if you’re trying to get your shirt up and over your head or in the shower when you’re trying to clean yourself. It’s very important for you to be able to do so because I really would not like to see my patients back in my rooms in a week or two weeks after the procedure with a frozen shoulder.
Can I drive after my surgery?
I would say that after about a week from the operation most patients would feel like they’re comfortable enough and the pain’s controlled enough to go for a short drive around or to go about their daily activities, and certainly within the first few days after the operation most would feel their pain is under control enough to go around the block for a quick walk to ensure they’re not just stuck at home.
