Walking is encouraged after surgery.
Walking, light movement, and other forms of ambulation are typically recommended within a few short afters breast augmentation surgery, but driving and walking are usually delayed for 2 weeks.
Light errands can usually be done on the day of surgery.
Light errands can usually be done the same day that you have breast augmentation surgery, depending on how you feel and how your body deals with pain and the surgical procedure.
Don’t drive while on prescription pain medication.
You should not drive while taking pain medication after breast augmentation. If you are taking any medications that have a sedative effect or that cause drowsiness, you should definitely not be driving after breast augmentation.
You may need pain medication for anywhere from 3-5 days after breast augmentation surgery, but most patients find that they only need narcotic pain medication for 1-2 days, and that over-the-counter pain medication will be sufficient to reduce postoperative pain thereafter.
The type of breast augmentation surgery you get will affect how long after surgery you can drive and work.
The type of breast augmentation surgery you get will vary based on what outcome you are trying to achieve, who your surgeon is, and whether there are any unique aspects about you and your body, including such things as prior use of breast implants and whether this is a revision or primary augmentation. Your own surgeon will be the best one to inform you of when you can do what activity after breast augmentation surgery.
“Upon arrival at home, 2 hour nap, followed by a 20-minute hot shower and light activity. …
“Light activity—shopping, go out for dinner.”
“Breast Augmentation” by Rafael A. Couto, David Sieber, and William P. Adams Jr.
Table of Contents
When you can walk, drive, and work after breast augmentation
You are undoubtedly wondering the same thing as many other patients having cosmetic surgery: “When will I be able to return to work, start driving again or even just walking?” If you are considering either a fat transfer breast augmentation or a silicone breast augmentation, it’s valid to ask this question.
The answer to this question is going to be contingent on a number of different aspects, including the natural pace of recuperation of your body, the procedure that was performed on you, and the kind of job that you have. In this blog we will go over all of these aspects as well as give you more insight on the recovery after a breast augmentation surgery.
“Commence aerobic exercises at 2 weeks, nonchest resistance exercises at 4 weeks, and chest/sit-ups at 6 weeks, post surgery.”
“Breast Augmentation” by Rafael A. Couto, David Sieber, and William P. Adams Jr.
Recovery Timeline After A Breast Augmentation
In this timeline, we will break down what you may anticipate following surgery by the day, the week, and the month. We will also include information on how long it will be until the patient can walk, drive, and return to work.
Days 1 & 2 Following Surgery
During the first two consecutive days the patient will be devoted entirely to relaxation. That said, you won’t need to stick to any kind of severe bed rest after having this kind of cosmetic surgery done. In point of fact, getting up and moving about is very necessary if you want to increase the capacity of your lungs and encourage healthy blood circulation.
Patients who have had this surgery tend to feel better than they anticipate they would in the first few days following surgery; nonetheless, it is essential to refrain from overdoing it even if you feel as if you are able to. To ensure that your body is able to recover correctly, you need to make sure that you schedule enough time (at least two days) to rest without any commitments in order to give it the time it needs.
Days 2-5 Following Surgery
The majority of patients will need the use of over-the-counter or prescription pain medications for a period of around five days after their surgeries. It’s possible that some people may need pain medication for a longer period of time than others. It is very essential that when you are using prescription medicines, you adhere to specific safety measures. These include refraining from driving, operating heavy equipment, and consuming alcoholic beverages.
Weeks 1-2 Following Surgery
Normally a one- to two-week break is necessary before going back to work. That said, when you can go back to work after having surgery is contingent upon how quickly your body recovers on its own, the kind of the procedure you had, and the specifics of your employment.
It is possible that you will feel healthy enough to drive or return to work during the first week if your job does not require a lot of physical exertion. When you’ve just undergone cosmetic surgery, you may find that even doing something as simple as sitting at a desk all day is unexpectedly taxing on your body. The more time you can allow your body to heal before going back to work, the easier it will be for you to get back into the swing of things once you do.
Weeks 3-6 Following Surgery
Even when you go back to work, it’s possible that your responsibilities may need to be adjusted for a few more weeks. You should receive some guidelines for easing back into your routine, and by about six weeks post-op, you’ll most likely be ready to resume all of your normal activities, both at work and outside of work. Make sure to attend your six-week post-op visit to ensure that your body has healed sufficiently and that it’s okay for you to return to your regular schedule.
Augmentation Technique Affects Recovery Time
Different plastic surgeons use different surgical techniques to perform breast augmentation surgery. All of them involve placing implants of either saline or silicone above or below the muscle, or on a dual-plane, which is essentially a combination of above and below the muscle. What technique your surgeon uses will affect the timeframe in which you heal from surgery, among other things.
The duration of your recovery time will be heavily influenced by the sort of breast augmentation procedure that you want to have done. The recovery time for patients who choose to enhance their breasts with implants rather than fat is often substantially shorter than the recovery time for patients who prefer to augment their breasts using fat transfer.
