Painless breast implant surgery
When it comes to elective surgery, pain is one of the topics that needs to be discussed during the pre-operative consultation. The patient interested in undergoing breast implant surgery should know what to expect after the procedure in terms of pain and discomfort and also how these can be reduced.
Unfortunately, there is no such thing as painless surgery; however, we can talk about breast implant surgery with a minimal amount of pain involved. First, we need to discuss what happens during surgery and then the recovery period.
When breast implant surgery is performed, the plastic surgeon makes incisions on the breasts or the axilla to create pockets under the mammary gland or the pectoral muscles where the implants will be inserted. This means that the tissues of the breasts will be stretched to accommodate the external implants that will add volume to the breasts and make them bigger. Normally, this is associated with a certain level of discomfort and pain, but these natural side effects won’t be experienced during surgery as the procedure is performed with the patient under general anesthesia. When general anesthesia is used, the patient feels no pain and has no recollection of the surgical trauma during the operation. However, things are different during the recovery period.
To minimize the pain and discomfort after breast implant surgery, the patient is advised to take the pain medication as per the doctor’s orders and also to adopt a certain behavior. Sleeping on the tummy is to be avoided for a minimum of three weeks post-op. Lifting objects from the floor is also contraindicated for at least a month post-op. Even something as simple as lifting the arms above the breasts should be avoided for two to three weeks.
The plastic surgeon will tell you that when the implants are inserted behind the pectoral muscle, the recovery period can be more uncomfortable and painful. All types of movements including the arms should be limited as there is a risk of the implants shifting due to the pressure on the pectoral muscles. Moreover, because the muscles were injured during surgery, the recovery can be more painful.
Even if a painless breast implant surgery is not really possible, you should know that the intensity of pain is actually quite moderate and can easily be alleviated with simple analgesics that will be prescribed by the plastic surgeon. More than pain, most patients will feel a sensation of tension in the breasts that is caused by the overstretching of the tissues that occurred when the implants were inserted. The pain and discomfort will subside within the first few weeks after the procedure.
If the pain is overly intense within the first few days post-op, the patient has a high fever and other symptoms such as pus coming from the incision site and redness in the area occur, an infection might be present and treatment is mandatory.