Women considering a plastic surgery procedure such as breast augmentation near Fishersville or Charlottesville, VA, often feel a combination of excitement and uncertainty. The decision to undergo breast augmentation is a significant one and patients often express concerns about life after the procedure.
Our team of board-certified plastic surgeons at UVA Plastic Surgery understands adjusting to a new breast size can be daunting. In this blog post, I would like to address a few of the most commonly asked questions we hear during consultations regarding size, proportion, and the reality of embracing a new shape.
“Will I be able to exercise after the procedure?”
Many patients have daily exercise routines before breast augmentation and are interested in picking it back up as soon as possible. The plastic surgeons at UVA Plastic Surgery are very engaged in determining the safest steps for a return to exercise. Typically, patients take 2 to 3 weeks completely off exercise—immediately after their surgery. At that time, your doctor will have you ease back into low-impact cardio exercises for a couple of weeks. Then, you’ll progress to higher impact cardio. Typically, patients resume upper body lifting after 6 to 8 weeks and are back to almost all exercise after 8 weeks. Long term, with appropriately sized breast implants, almost every patient is able to resume all preoperative exercises.
“Will I experience significant back pain or other symptoms common to women with overly large breasts?”
Appropriately sized breast implants should not cause back pain or any other symptoms that usually affect women with excessively large breasts. At UVA Plastic Surgery, our surgeons use several techniques including bio-dimensional planning, preoperative sizing, and experienced judgment to make sure the patient reaches a size that will not cause these issues in the short or long term.
During your initial consultation we will thoroughly examine you and take breast measurements. Then, based upon your stated goals and our examination and measurements we will decide on the appropriate size range to be appropriate for your goals and your anatomy. During your preoperative appointment, we will use external sizers in a sizing Z-bra and overlying shirt and show you the size that we have chosen together. If there are significant differences in size of one breast compared to the other side we can also use sterile sizers during surgery to provide the best symmetry possible.
An ideal transformation doesn’t always include significant enlargement. Approaches such as fat grafting allow for subtle reshaping, while a breast lift procedure can improve perkiness without adding any volume.
“Will I be able to dress conservatively with my new figure if need be?”
At UVA Plastic Surgery, we generally feel a well-executed breast augmentation should not dictate how a woman will dress after surgery. Instead, a patient should feel comfortable dressing the way she prefers, which may lead to her feeling more feminine and confident.
“Will I have a significant amount of pain right after the procedure?”
Breast augmentation is surgery and does require some recovery time. Fortunately, the period of discomfort during recovery is typically short. Most patients take either a narcotic or muscle relaxing medication for a few days after the surgery and then typically transition to an over-the-counter medication for a week or so. Most describe the initial discomfort as tightness, heaviness, or achiness that improves quickly in a couple of days.
“Will I need a lot of time off work?”
If you work in an office setting, most women need 1 week off work at the most. If your job is physically demanding, you might have to take more time off. Your surgeon at UVA Plastic Surgery will individualize the recommendations during your initial consultation to help you plan.
When you’re ready to move forward and request a one-on-one breast augmentation or other plastic surgery consultation near Augusta or Charlottesville, VA, contact us online or call (434) 924-1234 (Charlottesville) or (540) 932-5771 (Fishersville) to schedule an appointment.
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