It’s one of the most common questions asked by patients considering breast implants: “how painful is breast augmentation mammoplasty?”. In this blog we’ll strive to address this age old question. Firstly, we will consider some of the causes of breast implant pain. Secondly, we will address the pain question head-on with anecdotal evidence. Thirdly, we will talk about ways to manage breast augmentation mammoplasty pain. Finally, we will discuss when you should be worried about pain after breast surgery.

What causes breast augmentation mammoplasty pain?

Breast augmentation mammoplasty surgery is an invasive procedure. It involves an incision made in the inframammary fold, and a “pocket” made in the breast. The breast pocket is extra space made inside the breast either under or over the muscle. It is created using surgical tools and techniques, and its role is to create a pocket that the breast implant can sit inside. Once the breast implant is inserted in the pocket, the incision is sealed, and the patient goes into recovery. Given that we now know the basics of how the surgery works, we can begin to discuss the causes of pain.

The most common cause of pain immediately after breast augmentation mammoplasty surgery is from the surgery itself. There will always be some degree of pain when you have undergone an invasive surgery, and breast surgery is no exception. The good news is this type of pain is manageable. Firstly, your plastic surgeon will very likely inject local anaesthetic into the breasts at the beginning of the operation. This local anaesthetic provides some additional pain relief after surgery, when you are no longer asleep. The local anaesthetic can also help tide you over until you get home and can start taking oral pain relief.

What causes longer-term pain?

After the first 24 hours, the majority of pain comes from your breasts adjusting to the implants. Breast implants—especially larger ones—will stretch out your breast tissue and skin, which can be painful. For patients that have submuscular implants, there can be even more tightness in your chest which will contribute to this pain. Some patients will describe this pain as tightness, or feeling a heavy weight on your chest. This won’t actually affect your breathing, but it can feel like you are short of breath. This type of pain is generally quite manageable with the provided pain relief.

Over the few weeks after surgery, the tightness should start to subside and you may start to notice pain in different forms. The months after surgery can be filled with different sensations. Nerves will be reconnecting and can cause sharp shooting pains. The incision site may have a dull radiating pain as it heals. Your breasts may have a “sunburnt” feeling due to the stretch. You may feel, or even hear fluid around the implant moving as your breasts start settling. Thankfully, these symptoms generally don’t require any pain management as they come and go quickly.

After the first six months, you should not really feel any pain related to your surgery. If you do experience ongoing pain after this time, it’s a great idea to get in touch with your surgeon to discuss whether this is normal.

Is breast augmentation mammoplasty painful?

The direct question about whether breast surgery is painful is very subjective. Of course, the answer will depend on the individual’s pain threshold, and how they think about pain. Dr. Phil Richardson is a Plastic Surgeon in Brisbane, and anecdotal evidence from his patients suggests the answer is that breast augmentation mammoplasty is not generally painful, but it can be uncomfortable. According to several conversations with real patients, breast implant pain can be described more appropriately as discomfort and tightness. Recovering from surgery means you have to sleep upright for a week, leave your compression stockings on, and wear your compression bra. All of these requirements can add to the feeling of discomfort after surgery. Patients have access to oral pain management in the first week after surgery, so any acute pain is usually not noticeable.

If you are preparing for your breast augmentation mammoplasty surgery, it might be time to start thinking about ways to make your recovery as comfortable as possible. Do you have the right pillows you need to sleep upright? Is everything you need in an easy-to-reach location? Do you have comfortable clothes that are easy to put on and take off? Taking the time to set up your recovery space will help you have a comfortable post-op experience.

How to manage breast augmentation mammoplasty pain

After surgery, you are sent home with antibiotics and pain relief. The pain relief should only be taken on an as-needed basis. This means that you should be listening to your body. Consider whether you need the strong pain relief, or whether you could really just get by with some Panadol. It’s important to understand that strong pain relief will constipate you. This will progress to feeling sick and nauseous, and can cause significant discomfort. As such, you should limit the amount of strong pain relief you are taking, and take stool softeners to prevent constipation.

Patients will usually take the strong pain relief before sleeping to manage pain overnight and help aid a good night sleep. Throughout the day, Panadol is usually sufficient. As a general rule of thumb, after the first five days post-op you shouldn’t need any strong pain killers. If you are finding the pain totally unmanageable, you should call your plastic surgeon in Brisbane and discuss your options.

When should I be concerned about breast implant pain?

It’s not unusual to have some sudden onset pain after the first week. You may think you’re out of the woods, but suddenly some shooting pains might start to come through. There are a heap of weird sensations that will manifest over the six months post-surgery, but when should you be worried? Dr. Richardson from Brisbane Plastic & Cosmetic Surgery tells us that patients should contact their plastic surgeon if any of the following occur:

• Sudden and significant pain in one or both breasts
• Sudden and significant swelling in one or both breasts
• Feeling feverish or nauseous
• Leg pain
• Widespread redness
• Breasts feeling hot-to-touch

If any of the above symptoms occur, you should always get in touch with your surgeon. Any of the above symptoms could be an indication of seroma, infection, or DVT. It’s important to get on top of these complications at their onset, so if you’re unsure it’s always best to check.

Conclusion

In this blog post we considered the question “is breast augmentation mammoplasty painful”? We had a look at some of the causes of pain after surgery, we discussed how past patients feel about pain, we considered pain management strategies, and we identified symptoms that signal a need to contact your surgeon for help. It’s important to understand that every patient has a different experience. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to recovery, and not everything in this blog post will apply to you. Thankfully, there are a huge number of patient resources available today, including The Dr. Phil Society. This is a patient-centred platform that allows breast surgery patients to interact with one another and share their experiences. If you’re interested in breast augmentation mammoplasty and don’t know where to begin, contact us today to meet with Dr. Richardson.