Women who want larger or perkier breasts are occasionally put off by a single factor: The thought of extreme pain and discomfort during the healing process.
Understandably, some women are averse to enduring an overly painful recovery process, even if the end result is a boost in confidence and an attainment of their aesthetic goals.
If concerns regarding pain are preventing you from proceeding with breast augmentation surgery, rest assured that a trained surgeon who understands how to reduce post-operative discomfort for patients is highly beneficial to ensure that you have a pleasant experience.
Let’s look into some of the potential factors that could influence the pain experienced during a breast augmentation.
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Stages of Pain Experienced After Breast Augmentation
Breast augmentation surgery is likely not nearly as painful as you may believe. Indeed, the pain associated with recuperation is so minimal that over-the-counter pain drugs such as Advil or Tylenol are often sufficient to alleviate any discomfort experienced after surgery.
There are two primary elements that will influence the amount of discomfort you feel after your breast augmentation recovery.
The first element to consider is your pain tolerance. Certain individuals have a greater tolerance for pain in general, which enables them to better deal with discomfort, while others have a lower pain threshold, making them more sensitive to pain.
For each of these unique patient types, postoperative medications can be prescribed to greatly reduce any discomfort experienced. Because each patient is so different when it comes to recovery, so too is their aftercare.
Pain medication
Patients are typically started on extra-strength Ibuprofen since it does a great job reducing pain and comes with fewer side effects. If extra strength Ibuprofen fails to sufficiently reduce the pain, a stronger prescription pain medication may be provided.
This medication may be Percocet, Vicodin, Norco, or something similar, and your surgeon will work to ensure you are on that medication for as few days as possible, given that a longer-term addiction or dependence on the drug is possible if it is continued for too long.
The second component that will affect the degree of pain you will experience is time, which is divided into four stages:
Immediately Following Surgery
This stage of your recuperation will be the least uncomfortable. As you awaken from the general anesthetic used during your surgery, you will sense an increase in the weight of the implants on your chest and some pain, tightness, and general discomfort in the breast area. However, you will remain sleepy due to the general anesthetic used during surgery.
Hours Following Surgery
Your breasts will continue to feel somewhat achy or sensitive for many hours after surgery. Some women describe the sensation as similar to pulling a muscle, especially if their implants were placed submuscular, or below the muscle.
Days Following Surgery
The three to five days after your treatment are likely to be the most uncomfortable. This is because the healing process has started, and there may be some inflammation around your incisions and implants while your body adapts to the procedure.
The majority of women have small twinges, soreness, and hurting, but this level of pain often subsides within a week and is readily treated with over-the-counter prescriptions.
Weeks Following Surgery
Your discomfort will progressively subside in the weeks after surgery as you recuperate from the treatment. Within two to three weeks, many women have little to no pain. By the time you reach one month after surgery, the majority of your discomfort should have subsided.
Factors That Determine the Amount of Pain You Might Experience
Along with your relative degree of pain tolerance, there are a few more variables that will influence the amount of discomfort you may experience after your augmentation. These considerations include the size of the implant, the kind of implant, the location of the implant, and even if you have had a prior pregnancy.
Implant Dimensions
The size of your implant dictates both the number of cup sizes you may anticipate gaining post augmentation and the actual weight of the implants.
Larger implants, or those that increase breast size by more than one cup, are connected with more discomfort after recovery; smaller implants, those that increase breast size by one cup size or are used to improve the contour of the natural breast, are often lighter and less painful.
Type of Implant
Additionally, the kind of implant may influence the amount of discomfort you feel throughout recovery, since implant type often corresponds with weight. Because saline implants are less thick than silicone implants, they may provide some additional comfort during recovery.
Implant Placement
The implant’s location may be the most significant predictor of the level of pain you should expect. Breast augmentation may be performed in two ways: submuscular or subglandular.
Submuscular implants are those that are inserted behind the breast muscle, beneath the whole breast tissue, and tend to produce greater discomfort during recovery as the muscle stretches to accommodate the implant. Subglandular implants are those that are inserted between the natural breast tissue and the chest muscle wall, and they often cause less discomfort throughout the healing process.
Experienced Surgeons Reduce Pain
It may surprise you, but breast augmentation surgery is really rather painless, particularly when performed by a qualified physician who understands the optimal implant kind and location to reduce your discomfort throughout recovery. If you’re worried about the pain level, let your surgeon know and they will do everything to make sure that you’re comfortable throughout your experience.
