Breast augmentation continues to be one of the most popular cosmetic surgery procedures. In both 2017 and 2018, it was the most common cosmetic surgery performed in the United States. It’s also one of the most well-rated, with 98% of patients reporting it’s “worth it” on RealSelf.
Yaqub Baraki, M.D has years of surgical experience offering breast augmentations. If you’re considering breast augmentation, this post helps explain what you can expect after the procedure.
Your journey to a new look starts with a breast augmentation consultation with Dr. Baraki. He explains the variety of implant types, sizes, and incision sites to help you choose which option is right for you.
During your surgery, Dr. Baraki administers general anesthesia to ensure you’re comfortably asleep and pain-free during the procedure. He takes care to make minimally visible incisions and reduce your overall risk of scarring.
Following your surgery, Dr. Baraki moves you to a recovery room for monitoring as you wake up from your anesthesia. You might feel sore and sleepy.
After Dr. Baraki gives you the all-clear, a team member explains specific after-care instructions to you before you go home. You need to arrange for someone to accompany you to your surgery and drive you home afterward.
Be sure your home is set up to make things easier for you post-surgery. Have enough pillows handy to help keep you in a comfortable position while you sleep. It’s a good idea to have some light, healthy meals already prepared at home so you can avoid too much activity in the first few days after your surgery.
In the first week after surgery, you might feel some pain and discomfort. You may experience pain around the incision sites or just general soreness and swelling. Dr. Baraki prescribes prescription pain medication to help with this stage.
If Dr. Baraki has advised regular massages to prevent scar formation, you should begin massaging your breasts around the first or second week after surgery. Remember to wear your post-surgical recovery bra every day, taking it off only to shower and wash.
After the first week of recovery, you can slowly start to incorporate light exercise and resume normal activities. If you have an office job, you should be able to return to work after a week off, but take extra time off of work if your job requires a lot of manual labor.
By one month post-op, you should feel mostly back to normal. You’re able to return to work and careful exercise as normal, but you should still avoid any heavy lifting.
While you might be excited to show off your new look, remember that it’s important to continue to wear your post-surgery bra as long as Dr. Baraki advises.
Some patients find that their breasts look uneven at first, but this is due to uneven swelling as your body heals. Others find that their breast implants look high and unnatural, but they drop and fluff over time to reveal a more natural look.
After about two months, you should be almost fully recovered and able to resume all of your normal activities. You no longer have to wear your surgical recovery bra, but you should stick to non-underwired bras for at least another month.
Once you’re fully recovered, you can show off your shapely figure and enjoy your newfound confidence.
If you’re considering a breast augmentation but aren’t sure whether to take the next step, contact Dr. Baraki for a consultation. Get in touch by calling either our Leesburg or Ashburn, Virginia office. You can also book an appointment online.
