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Dr. Silverman’s Bio | Q&A Archive
Breast augmentation; Breast implants; Implants - breast; Mammaplasty
You may need to stay overnight in the hospital. Some women can go home when their anesthesia wears off and they can walk, drink water, get to the bathroom safely, and have pain they can manage at home.
After breast augmentation surgery, a bulky gauze dressing will be wrapped around your breasts and chest, or you might wear a surgical bra. Drainage tubes may be attached to your breasts. These will be removed within 3 days.
Sometimes doctors also recommend massaging the breast starting 5 days after surgery to reduce hardening of the capsule that surrounds the implant. Ask your doctor first before massaging over your implants.
You are likely to have a very good outcome from breast surgery. You may feel better about your appearance and yourself. Also, the pain or skin symptoms you had (such as striation) will disappear. You may need to wear a special supportive bra for a few months to reshape your breasts.
Scars are permanent and are often more visible in the year after surgery. They will fade after this. Your surgeon will try to place the incisions so that your scars are as hidden as possible. Your scars should not be noticeable, even in low-cut clothing, since incisions are usually made on the underside of the breast.
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Hölmich LR, Lipworth L, McLaughlin JK, Friis S. Breast implant rupture and connective tissue disease: a review of the literature. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2007 Dec;120(7 Suppl 1):62S-69S.
McLaughlin JK, Lipworth L, Fryzek JP, Ye W, Tarone RE, Nyren O. Long-term cancer risk among Swedish women with cosmetic breast implants: an update of a nationwide study. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2006 Apr 19;98(8):557-60.
Wiener TC. Relationship of incision choice to capsular contracture. Aesthetic Plast Surg. 2008 Mar;32(2):303-6.
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