I know this sounds crazy and I know you are going to get in front of that mirror asap, but don’t take too much stock in what you first see. This is one of those “trust me” things. After doing over a thousand Breast Augmentations in Louisville, I just know.
Why am I saying this, because of swelling. When we put these implants in the breast starts to swell before you even leave the operating room. Now, if we use silicone implants that go on top of the muscle, the swelling is much less and goes away more quickly. So, after 4 or 5 days, when you look in the mirror, you should get a pretty good idea of how things are going to look.
Saline is a whole different ballgame. At the 3 to 5 day period you are maximally swollen. That muscle will swell and you will look like you have implants up to your collar bones. The soft tissue under your arms will swell as will the breast itself. The skin will be stiff and shiney. So don’t even look because this is NOT how your breasts will be once you are healed. Now, healing varies from person to person. Some women have lost most of their swelling at 2 to 3 weeks, others take 2 to 3 months. I don’t even think about recommending you buying nice bras until after your second post op visit, which is at the 2 month point. Even then I tell some of you to hold off.
The bottom line is that even though everyone knows she is going to be swollen, the swelling is a lot worse than some of you anticipate. That triggers pure panic for some women that is just unnecessary. If you have saline implants, pay no attention the shape and size of your breast for the first 7 to 10 days…it’s all going to change and change for the better!
Lee Corbett, MD
www.CorbettCosmeticSurgery.com
502.721.0330
All posts on this blog are authored by Louisville Cosmetic Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Lee Corbett. Dr. Corbett specializes in cosmetic plastic surgery including facelifts, browlifts, blepharoplasy, Botox, Juvederm, Restylane, breast augmentation, breast lifts, breast reductions, body lifts, liposuction, and tummy tucks.
