Breast reduction mammoplasty has become one of the most popular procedures Dr. Richardson performs here at Brisbane Plastic & Cosmetic Surgery. Breast reduction mammoplasty in Brisbane is a medical procedure that involves the removal of excess breast tissue and skin to reduce and simultaneously lift the breasts, raising the nipple position. The most common reason for undergoing the procedure is to alleviate the chronic pain of oversized breasts that can have far-reaching implications for physical and mental health. Recovery after breast reduction mammoplasty surgery is an important topic for patients to understand prior to their procedure, as this will greatly impact their patient experience as well as have compounding effects on healing and aesthetic results. This blog post will consider the process of recovery after breast reduction and the important points patients should consider during this time.

Recovery after Breast Reduction Mammoplasty: Immediately after surgery

The first point of recovery after breast reduction mammoplasty is waking up after surgery in the recovery ward of the operating hospital. In the recovery ward, the nurses will help you get dressed and you’ll have your first meal of the day (you will have been fasting prior to surgery). It’ll take some time for you to readjust after the general anaesthetic, but when you are alert enough the nurses will go through all of your post-op instructions again to ensure you are prepared for recovery! You’ll get a refresh about the medications provided in the post-op bag, the info in the post-op booklet, and the nurses will call your partner, friend, family member, or carer that you have chosen to pick you up from surgery and care for you the first 24 hours.

One of the first things you’ll notice after surgery is the drains. These surgical drains are intended to drain excess fluid and blood from the surgical site and prevent complications such as seroma. The drains are left in for approximately 1-3 days depending on the amount of fluid drained. We monitor your drain levels daily until they’re ready to be removed. Another thing you’ll notice is that you can’t actually see your breasts because they’re bandaged up. These dressings will be left on until your post-op appointment, so it’s important to not disturb them too much early on. The last thing you’ll notice is your compression stockings which will play an important role in preventing DVT and blood clots. These stockings should be left on for at least 4 days for safety. 

When you get home you will probably want to sleep. The first thing you should do before sleeping is take your first antibiotic, provided in your post-op bag. You will need to take one antibiotic four times a day until the box is finished. When you wake up, at lunch, at dinner, and before you sleep is a good schedule that’s generally easiest to stick with. Remember, your antibiotics are the most important medication to take so aim to set some alarms in your phone for the week to remember to take them.  It’s a good idea to play it by ear when it comes to the painkillers and start small, and do not mix and match your painkillers. For some patients, Panadol is sufficient pain relief. While it may be tempting to use the stronger pain relief as a preventative measure, this will have an adverse impact on your bowels and can cause you to become constipated, which in turn can cause nausea and significant discomfort. If you are in discomfort and start taking the strong pain killers you should make sure you’re taking the stool softener provided in your post-op bag, as well as pear or prune juice. 

Now that you have taken your antibiotics and your chosen pain relief (if required), you can have a nap! You’ll probably want to be sleeping and resting as much as possible for the first week, and this is normal – it’s important to take it easy during recovery. Dr. Richardson recommends that all patients sleep elevated for the first week to reduce swelling, reduce fluid build up, maintain circulation, and ensure proper healing. Sleeping elevated on 2-3 pillows is sufficient elevation.

It’s important to keep your circulation after surgery, as you are at a higher risk of developing blood clots during this time. To avoid this happening you should be getting up to walk around the house every hour or so that you’re awake. Light walking is fine, but avoid getting your heart rate up as this can cause complications.

Recovery after Breast Reduction Mammoplasty: Day after surgery

When you wake up the morning after surgery you’ll receive a call from the nurses at the clinic to check up on you. They’ll ask you how you’re feeling, make sure you’re staying on top of your antibiotics, make note of what painkillers you are taking, and whether you’ve had any bowel movements. The most important part of this call will be checking your drain levels to see how much fluid drained overnight. If there was a sufficient amount drained, the nurses will organise your drain removal appointment, but for most patients this occurs on the second or third day post-op. 

You might be tempted to hop in the shower after you wake up the next morning, but remember you have drains and dressings that cannot get wet. If you want to have a bird bath you can take off your compression stockings and wash your lower half. You can then use a damp cloth or wet wipes to wipe around your arms, neck and underarms, making sure to not wet the dressings. 

Remember to stay hydrated and rest. Over-exerting yourself in the early post-op period is how many post-operative complications occur so take it slow and steady, and forget about the housework for a few days. 

Post-op appointment #1:

The nurses will call you daily until the time when your drains are ready to be removed. You will come in for your drain removal appointment at the clinic and the nurse will do this for you. Depending on how many days post-op you are, the nurse may also take down your bandages and dressings. If it is too early in recovery, you will need to come back another day to have you dressings taken down.

Post-op appointment #2:

If you have to wait a little longer before your dressings are ready to be changed, you will have a second post-op appointment. After this appointment you will be ready to have a proper shower! Remember, your breasts are still healing and raising your arms above your head is something you need to be avoiding as much as possible in the first 1-2 weeks. If you have to wash your hair, see if someone can help you out or try to minimise the amount of lifting required. When showering you should be avoiding the incision sites. 

At your post-op appointment the nurses will teach you how to change your tapes. Generally it is recommended that you take your tapes off in the shower, pat the incisions dry, and reapply fresh tape to the clean area. You should be changing your tape once a week, or as needed.

1 week post-op:

After one-week recovering you should be no longer needing nor taking any painkillers. As long as you have stopped, you will be cleared to drive and go back to work! If you have a more strenuous job that requires upper body work you should wait at least 2 weeks before returning to work. You will be able to do light exercise such as walking around the block, but nothing to get your heart-rate up just yet. By this point you will have finished your antibiotics and should be feeling pretty good. 

3 weeks post-op:

3 weeks post-op you’ll likely be feeling pretty much back to normal but it’s important to not get ahead of yourself. You’ll have a check-up appointment to track your recovery progress and discuss any concerns you have. You can get back to the gym and start doing some lower body exercise but avoid anything that increases your heart rate considerably as you’re still in the process of healing. You should be back to most normal activity, but proceed with caution and listen to your body.

6 weeks post-op:

At 6 weeks post-op you will be cleared to resume life as normal. You’ll have your routine check-up appointment with Dr. Richardson to assess your results and will be advised of any further appointments required. You can get back into all activities at the gym, get your heart rate up, be fitted for bras, go swimming, and everything in between. You will no longer need to be wearing the tapes after the 6 week mark and can shower normally. The 6 week mark is what most surgeons deem to be the end of your recovery – granted you do not experience any post-operative complications.

Conclusion: Recovery after Breast Reduction Mammoplasty

If you’re a patient considering or preparing for a breast reduction mammoplasty, we hope this was a helpful blog post for you. In this blog post we outlined the timeline of recovery for the typical breast reduction mammoplasty patient and what you should be doing at each point in your recovery journey. Breast reduction mammoplasty is a very exciting and rewarding procedure that can have a profound impact on patient quality-of-life. If you are interested in undergoing breast reduction mammoplasty with the Brisbane Breast Specialist, Dr. Phil Richardson – contact us today!