Microsoft word - pre & post operative instruction for breast augmentation

PRE AND POST OPERATIVE INSTRUCTIONS FOR BREAST AUGMENTATION
1. You should make arrangements to be off from work for one week following surgery. The amount of time varies between patients and is determined by your level of comfort after surgery. 2. If you have small children someone should help you with childcare for at least 1 week due to lifting restrictions. 3. Do not drive for 24 hours after surgery and/or you are no longer taking Narcotic pain medications. 4. You will be given a prescription for pain medicine with written instructions. Narcotic pain medication may cause constipation, and for this reason you should also use a product of choice such as: prunes, prune juice, milk of magnesia, Colace/stool softener, etc. to help keep you regular and avoid straining with bowel movements. 5. Do not take aspirin containing products or NSAID’s (Ibuprofen, Aleve, Naprosyn, Motrin) 2 weeks prior to and after your surgery. Tylenol is acceptable. Your prescribed pain medication contains Tylenol, and therefore you should not take any additional Tylenol with the prescribed pain medication. 6. A postoperative bra will be placed on you after surgery. The garment should be worn around the clock for 2 weeks (it is okay to remove for showering). The doctor will determine the specific time for garments to be worn on a case by case basis. 7. After your first shower, you may wear a sports bra in place of your postoperative bra. This should be on with good support, no under-wire, and preferably one that opens from the front. We will also provide you with a detached bra band which could also be worn around the clock for duration of 2 weeks. 8. If the outside gauze becomes stained or soaked through with fluid (blood/serum) before 48 hours, additional gauze may be placed overtop for additional coverage. If you do not have gauze available, panty liners are a good substitute. The gauze placed over the incisions may be removed after 48 hours, when you take your first shower. 9. Usually there will be steri-strips/tape placed directly over the incisions. These should be left in place until they fall off on their own (usually 1 to 2 weeks). As the steri0strips start to come loose at the ends you may trim the loose ends with scissors. If these have not come off on their own in 2 weeks time, you may gently remove them. 10. You will typically be sent home after surgery with an infusion device called a pain pump. This device delivers controlled amounts of local anesthetics directly to your surgical site over the duration of 3-5 days post operatively. The pain pump cuts down on postoperative pain significantly and requires no care. We will remove this in the office within your first week following surgery. 11. When arriving home you should remain relaxed. (Short walks are encouraged after the first day). You should not do any strenuous activities such as cleaning, exercising, or shopping until instructed. Avoid lifting (no more than 1 grocery bag at a time/ 10 lbs.), extending, straining, or bending for at least 2 weeks after surgery. 12. Your swelling will increase for the first 72 hours and then gradually subside. You may notice increased swelling in the morning. However, this will subside as the day goes on. 13. You should not sleep on your stomach for at least 3 weeks. For the first week, sleeping in a recliner or in a bed with pillows to elevate your head is important to help reduce swelling. We want your surgical experience to be as efficient and pleasant as possible. We would appreciate your suggestions regarding any area of your care which you think could be improved to make your experience more pleasant. If you have any questions, please call our office between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Monday – Friday. If a problem should arise after office hours, the doctor can be reached through the answering service at 253.627.2900.

Source: http://www.aestheticcentre.org/documents/prepostbreastaug.pdf