Breast Implant Surgery – What Will I Look Like After Surgery?
Breast Augmentation Surgery – What Will I Look Like?
For many breast augmentation patients, the 64 million dollar question is “What will my breasts look like the first time I see them after surgery?” Boston Breast Augmentation expert, Richard A. Moss M.D., hears this question all the time. “And even if I don’t hear it, I make sure any breast implant patient is given the answer at both her consultation and her pre-operative visit,” Dr. Moss emphatically states.
When asked to elaborate, Dr. Moss continued, “All patients expect to see larger breasts after breast implant surgery. What most patients are not prepared for is the way they will look in the immediate post-operative period. That is, unless they have been properly counseled to expect what is clinically referred to as “superpole fullness.” This is a very normal post operative condition, where there is swelling in the upper portion of the breasts. In addition, the implants may not have settled yet to the bottom of the breasts.”
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| Before Breast Implants | 3 Days After Breast Implants |
The pre-surgical photo on the left shows a woman who before surgery wore a 36B bra. She chose 325 cc saline implants which were placed below the pectoral muscle. The post-surgical photo on the right shows her 3 days after the surgery. The swelling that is present in the upper portion of the breast is quite normal at this stage in the post-operative course. The swelling is caused by a number of factors. The main one is that the breast tissue has not yet stretched to accommodate the presence of the implant. Normal surgically induced tissue swelling and fluid collections also contribute to the swelling.
Dr. Moss continues, “I counsel patients that they will need to wait six months from the time of their surgery to receive their final result. I show all of my patients a series of pictures that demonstrates the healing process and what to expect concerning the appearance of their breasts over this six month period. I have found that unless I show patients photos of what to expect, they will inevitably become very concerned.”
Dr. Moss will also show many breast augmentation patients this series of photographs on their first post-operative visit. “I find that at this point in time, these pictures now have more meaning to many of my breast augmentation patients. It puts them at ease.”
Another subject that comes up in relationship to “superpole breast swelling” is the question, “Will I look funny or strange in my clothes immediately after surgery?” Dr. Moss’ wife, Carla, who has had breast implant surgery herself, is the one who usually answers this question for patients. “I assure patients that they will look fine in most clothing, even in the immediate post-operative phase. The one outfit that can be difficult is a bathing suit or a bikini. If a patient has the opportunity to have her surgery in the spring versus the summer and going to the beach is important to her, then I would encourage her to have her surgery in the spring. I also tell patients that are having their implants in the summer, that by wearing a tee shirt over their bathing suit, they will look very presentable. Of course we also counsel that no fresh post-operative surgical patient should be baking in the sun or exposing their wounds to the sun, as this would impede healing and cause the scars to be more prominent.”
This type of bathing suit would be difficult to wear during the first few months after breast implant surgery. Superpole fullness would be visible.
This type of clothing usually works well after breast augmentation surgery.
As time progresses patients will see that their breasts start to take on a much more normal appearance. The swelling subsides and the breast implants settle to the bottom of the breasts. Although a breast enlargement patient does not receive her final result for six months, she will often start to see changes in the second or third week, as the swelling starts to subside. At two months she will often notice her breasts have a much more natural appearance.
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| Before Implants | 3 Days After | 6 Weeks After | 6 Months After |
The third photo at 6 weeks shows the swelling has subsided, but it still present. The last photo shows her final result at 6 months. Dr. Moss reminds patients that with or without breast enlargement surgery, breasts will continue to sag with aging, and having breast implant surgery will not stop this process.
Another detail that Dr. Moss likes to counsel and reassure patients on is what a post operative augmented breast will feel like to the touch. “This can be another area that will concern a patient if she has not been adequately educated before surgery,” states Dr. Moss. “I let all patients know in advance that their breasts will be quite hard and will not feel natural. However, as the breasts stretch, they become much softer with time. This process also takes about 6 months.”
Dr. Moss finds that with appropriate counseling, most patients find that their breast enlargement recovery period is more pleasant than they expected. Knowing what to expect can go a long way in making a patient feel comfortable and secure.