What is and isn’t Normal to Experience After Breast Augmentation Surgery

Added on 10th July 2020 in Blog

Breast augmentation surgery continues to be an extremely popular procedure for many patients. For many, how their surgery turns out is extremely satisfactory and happy with how it’s turned out. During the recovery period, however, patients are still sceptical about how their results have turned out after breast augmentation surgery. 

Guidance is provided throughout your recovery stage and we ensure that your safety is a top priority by outlining the steps your recovery will take. However, if at some point in your recovery after breast augmentation you have any concerns, we’ve outlined some things that you should and shouldn’t expect to feel or see after your surgery.

Your chest feels quite tight

It’s natural to expect swelling after your surgery. This will be the time period when your breast tissue is beginning to heal and become familiar with the implants that have been inserted. Postoperative swelling can intensify particularly around the 3-5 day mark, potentially amplifying the feeling of pressure on your chest.

Typically, you’re likely to feel discomfort after breast augmentation surgery for the first couple of weeks but feelings of stiffness can occur for a month or so. The majority of the swelling will occur in the first 3 weeks or so after the breast augmentation surgery but moderate swelling is likely to remain for around 3 months.

If the swelling persists severely and your breasts feel very warm or have the feeling of engorgement, it’s important to contact your surgeon immediately as these are common signs of bleeding and infection.

Boobs appear unnatural and nipples are uneven

During the recovery process, it’s important that your breasts are given time to “drop and fluff”. This is a term used to describe the breasts gradually falling into place of their final position the scar begins to fade. This normally occurs around the 3 month mark. 

Initially, your breasts are likely to appear rather high on the chest and you’ll generally see some dissimilarities in how they look. This may also include one breast appearing slightly bigger than the other or one dropping lower than the other. Don’t fear that your surgeon made a mistake at this stage as it simply means your breasts need more time to heal. 

Give your breasts time to adjust to the new implants. Asymmetry may occur postoperatively as swelling continues to heal and one breast may recover quicker than the other. Around 3 months is when your breasts will start to take shape and show their final results. If after this time, your breasts still appear dissimilar, hard to touch and generally look unnatural, this would be a good indication to call your surgeon. Breast augmentation revision can be an option if you’re still not happy with the results after 6-12 months.

Shooting pains are being felt around out nipples

You’re likely to feel strange sensations and pain around your chest and nipple area as your muscles tissues continue to repair. Other common pains may appear in the chest and have back pain occur throughout the first few weeks. Generally, chest muscle spasms are expected to occur around the first three to four weeks after your recovery as the pectoral muscles continue to adjust to the implant. 

Whilst the pains may occur for around 6 months after breast augmentation surgery, these should gradually become less frequent. If the pain continues severely and excessively for a continuous period, disrupting your comfort and sleeping patterns, it’s important to notify your surgeon immediately.

You feel bloated or constipated

It’s natural to feel extremely anxious after your surgery, developing discomfort in the digestive system and nausea. The body can also react differently to medication and the anesthesia used to numb your pain feeling. Pain feeling tends to come from lack of physical activity for the first few days of recovery, causing fatigue and bloating.

This feeling of constipation should only last for a few days after the initial shock that the body received from the operation. Regular hydration and taking reasonable precautions with your medication can help to alleviate this feeling. Any limited exercise available can also help with digestive problems, such as short walks.

If the pain persists longer than normally expected, it would be advisable to contact your surgeon about the problems you’re facing. There can be solutions available, even as little as adjusting your diet. These can be further discussed during your visit.

Be sure to stay in touch with your surgeon

Each individual patient heals differently after breast augmentation surgery, so you may not even experience these points. Whilst the majority of patients are happy with their results and heal as expected after surgery with us, there can be times when complications arise. Therefore, if you’re having some problems after your recovery be sure to contact us so we can discuss these issues and support you along the way.

Back to Blogs