What do stitches look like after a breast lift and how long do they take to heal?

How does the rehabilitation process work day by day?

The first two days after the intervention, the patient is in the hospital under the supervision of a doctor. Bed rest is indicated for 24 hours. The sutures are treated and drug therapy is carried out to avoid complications.

3 – 4 days. The patient is discharged home. The doctor prescribes medications and treatment of sutures at home. Be sure to wear compression garments. This will help fix the breasts in the correct position.

Until the fifth day, the patient may experience pain in the chest area. This is considered the norm. Painkillers are taken as prescribed by the doctor. For two weeks, sports are strictly prohibited, lifting weights, and taking a hot shower or bath is prohibited. Otherwise, unpleasant consequences will appear.

10 – 12 days. The doctor removes the stitches. It is too early to evaluate the outcome of the operation, since swelling persists.

The early stage of rehabilitation lasts 1 – 2 months. At this time, the implants take root and the breasts acquire a beautiful shape.

Incisions during mammoplasty

How your breast lift stitches and scars will look depends on the type of incision that is made for the surgery.

There are these types of cuts:

• Periareolar - in the area between the pigmented skin of the nipple and the white skin.
• Axillary - an incision in the armpit.
• Submammary - incision around the contour of the inframammary fold.
• Transareolar - a transverse incision of the areola, which is the least safe and most traumatic.

The type of incision is selected depending on the volume of the implant. It also depends on how long it takes for the stitches on the chest to be removed and how further care goes. The advantage of the axillary incision is that traces of the intervention can be hidden in the cavity, but access is more difficult and there is a risk of bleeding. And the most inconspicuous submammary incision is the simplest and safest, and leaves a seam under the breast after mammoplasty, which is almost invisible.

The fact that scars remain after breast augmentation should not be embarrassing - it is worth having a beautiful shape and the desired size.

What should not be done after surgery and how to avoid complications?

• You can take a shower no earlier than 2–3 days after the intervention or after removal of the drains. The water should be 36 - 37 degrees, do not rub the breasts with your hands or a washcloth.
• You can't drive a car for 14 days.
• For the first 4 days you cannot raise your arms up. On days 5–30, arm lifts should be smooth without sudden movements.
• Sex is allowed no earlier than after 3 weeks.
• Compression garments are worn for a month without taking them off (except for showers).
• Going to the bathhouse, hammam, or sauna is prohibited for 5–6 months.
• Sport. In the first two months, only walking is allowed. From the third month, an increase in loads is indicated on the recommendation of a doctor.
• In the first month you can lift no more than 1 kilogram.
• You should not sunbathe under the sun or in a solarium for the first three months.
• For the first three weeks you can only sleep on your back, then you can lie on your side.
• Air travel is permitted 14 days after surgery.

The first results are assessed two months after the operation. The final version is visible after 9 – 12 months.

The leading plastic surgeon of the Butko Plastic clinic, Igor Aleksandrovich Butko, explains in detail the rules of breast care during the rehabilitation period. The doctor tells you what you can do when you play sports. Strict adherence to all recommendations guarantees a good postoperative effect.

Stitches and scars after breast surgery

As a result of surgical intervention, postoperative sutures are placed on the chest:

• Cosmetic.
• Fixation with staples.
• Invisible.

How many days after mammoplasty are sutures removed? Usually this is 7-10 days if the recovery processes are normal.

When a cosmetic suture is made, on what day are the sutures removed after mammoplasty? Depends on the type of thread. There are those that are removed within a specified period of up to 10 days, or self-resorbable ones that do not need to be removed. Healed sutures after mammoplasty become light and are not very visible on the skin.

The skin is also fixed with staples - this requires equipment. The most popular method is to apply an “invisible” suture, when the skin is glued together with fibrin glue. After it, there are almost no scars or cicatrices left on the body.

Features of bust care

Seam processing

The surgical site is wiped with sterile wipes and treated with antiseptics - hydrogen peroxide, chlorhexidine, furatsilin. After tightening and lightening the sutures, the surgical site is lubricated with Contractubex.

Wearing compression garments

During the first month, be sure to wear compression garments. It prevents the operated breast from sagging and becoming deformed. Lingerie is selected during the preoperative consultation.

Personal hygiene and skin care

They wash only in the shower. Moisturizers are applied to the skin; after using antiseptics, the skin becomes dry. Good hydration will help not to lose the attractiveness of your breasts.

Massotherapy

Self-massage 4–5 times a day is recommended no earlier than 14 days after breast surgery. In the early stages, stroking movements with warm palms are shown. After a month, light squeezing and stretching movements using oils are allowed. If the patient feels pain during the massage, the pressure should be reduced.

Massage movements are needed for several reasons:

• Makes the implant position more natural.
• Restores lymph flow, reduces pain and swelling.
• Prevents the formation of a capsule-shaped bag around the implant.
• Preserves breast sensitivity.

Physical activity and sports

You can walk 2–3 days after plastic surgery. After 3 weeks, light movements are performed, with the exception of the chest and shoulders. After three months, you are allowed to lift dumbbells and swim in the pool. Running, dancing and bodybuilding can only be done six months after the operation.

An authoritative surgeon, Igor Aleksandrovich Butko, monitors the condition of the patient’s breasts and carries out monitoring until the body is completely restored. Our clinic uses safe anesthesia, modern equipment and instruments. The rules of asepsis and antiseptics are strictly observed.

Come get gorgeous breasts at Butko Plastic! Call us to schedule an initial consultation with a doctor.

About breast reduction surgery

Breast reduction surgery, also called reduction mammoplasty, is performed to remove excess fat, tissue, and skin from the breast. This will help lift the breasts and give them a new shape, as well as improve the position of the nipple. You can have breast reduction surgery after or at the same time as another procedure to give your breasts the size and shape you want.

If you are having a lumpectomy (surgery to remove a tumor from your breast), you may have the option of having an oncoplastic reduction at the same time as your surgery. This means that your plastic surgeon will reconstruct the remaining tissue in your breasts during surgery. You can also reduce the second breast so that it is similar in size.

You may need to have a mammogram before this surgery. Your healthcare provider will provide you with more information.

You will be able to go home the day of your surgery. You must have a responsible escort to take you home. A responsible companion is someone who can help you get home safely and inform your healthcare provider if there are any problems. Make this arrangement in advance of the day of your surgery/procedure. You can take a taxi or rent a car, but you will need to have someone with you responsible accompanying person.

to come back to the beginning

What is the secret to a comfortable recovery after mammoplasty in our clinic?

Department of Plastic Surgery at the Clinic named after. N.I. Pirogov was opened in 1999. Today in St. Petersburg it is considered the flagship. Our plastic surgeons have successfully performed more than 10 thousand operations, and each work can truly be called “jewelry.” The combination of high quality medical services and affordable prices is one of our main advantages and confirmation of our commitment to the principle of customer focus. We offer our patients:

• services of the best plastic surgeons in the city with impressive experience in the field of aesthetic and reconstructive medicine;
• material and technical equipment of the clinic at the level of leading European medical institutions;
• a wide range of medical specialists whose assistance may be required to perform breast surgery;
• high-comfort rooms for 1 or 2 people;
• availability of its own laboratory and intensive care unit;
• discounts and all inclusive package offers at reduced prices for plastic surgery;
• personal support from a curator for patients from other cities and countries;
• interest-free installments.

If you have any questions, call us at: +7 (812) 320-70-00. Contact center specialists will advise you and help you make an appointment with a plastic surgeon.

Breast augmentation: rehabilitation

The most common symptom after mammoplasty is swelling. A woman may notice that her breasts are larger than expected and that the skin in this area is very tight. If the postoperative period proceeds normally, the swelling should subside in about a week. Sometimes swelling is accompanied by bruising and bruising.

After mammoplasty, a woman’s immunity decreases sharply. This is explained by the fact that the body initially perceives implants as a foreign object. Therefore, during the recovery period, it is necessary to take care of additional protection against viruses, especially if the operation is performed during seasons characterized by acute respiratory infections and flu.

I always remind my patients that their behavior during the postoperative period affects the final result. Compliance with all my recommendations will minimize the risk of complications, and the final result of the operation will be formed within a year, after the swelling has subsided.

How much breast reduction should be done, are there standards?

In this case, everything almost entirely depends on the wishes of the patient. Some people want to make their breasts as small as possible, while others prefer only to remove the “excess weight” from their breasts in order to finally get rid of problems in the form of a sore spine, neck and similar troubles that accompany large breasts. In general, surgeons most often recommend not violating the natural proportions and reducing the breasts to the volume that will make the shape the most natural and aesthetically attractive. It is far from common to see a person with a naturally slender physique and at the same time excessively large breasts, so large that the intervention of a plastic surgeon is required. As a rule, people whom nature has awarded with impressive breast volumes are not distinguished by the fragility of other parts of the body. Therefore, when reducing your breasts, it is advisable to strive to make the volumes such that they ultimately look harmonious with all other parts of the body.

Will the nipples lose sensitivity and the breasts lose the ability to feed?

Despite numerous scientific studies, which are often contradictory, it is worth understanding that not all patients will be able to fully breastfeed after surgery. There is not yet enough research that can say with certainty how much milk production may be reduced, and what the percentage of people who will not be able to breastfeed after breast reduction. One way or another, there are still chances for feeding. And thanks to modern plastic surgery technologies, many women recover quite calmly after breast reduction and feed their babies. There is also an opinion that the more time has passed after the operation, the higher the chances of feeding.

With nipple sensitivity the situation is much better. There is only a very small chance that after surgery a woman will never regain nipple sensitivity. It may disappear for a long time, but the more time passes after the operation, the more noticeable is the return of sensitivity.

See the section “Breast reduction” and learn more about this plastic surgery.