New York City · Breast Augmentation Surgery
Information
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Breast Augmentation Patient Information - POST-OPERATIVE CARE RECOVERY ROOM: You will feel sleepy or groggy when you awake from anesthesia. The length of your stay in the recovery room will depend on how quickly you feel ready to sit up and leave on your own. During this time, you will be monitored. You will spend at least 30 minutes to an hour in the recovery room. When Dr. Zevon thinks you are ready to depart, he will ask the OR nurse to help you get dressed. Your escort and our nurse will help you into your vehicle (car or taxi). Because you will be groggy, you should expect to move slowly and carefully. We will have a set of your Post-op Instructions at our reception desk for your escort. REST: When you arrive home, be prepared to rest in bed for the first 48 hours after breast augmentation surgery. Since you fasted before your surgery, you will be dehydrated. Drink plenty of fluids. Begin to eat lightly. If you feel nauseated, lie on your back with your head down and remain still. Any sensation of nausea should pass by the morning after your breast augmentation surgery. If you feel okay, light activity is fine. HOW TO SIT UP IN BED: The easiest way to sit up from lying on your back is to move your body parallel to the edge of the bed and swing your legs over the edge, bending your knees and placing your feet on the ground. Then use your abdominal muscles to sit up instead of pushing yourself up with your arms and chest muscles. If you have someone to help you, an easy way to sit up is to have someone else carefully support your back and to help you sit up. PAIN: After breast augmentation surgery, the period of maximum discomfort varies from patient to patient from 2 or 3 days to a week. Patients having sub-muscular implants have more pain than patients having breast implants above the muscle. Almost all patients feel comfortable by the end of the first week. Many patients return to work on Monday or Tuesday after Friday surgery. Most patients take the prescribed oral pain medication. DON'T DRIVE WHILE TAKING PAIN PILLS! For patients having sub-muscular breast implants, the pain pump is a non-narcotic option for pain control. If you think you are interested in a pain pump, tell Dr. Zevon during your pre-op visit. In addition, placing ice bags padded with a towel over the breasts may relieve discomfort significantly. The period of greatest discomfort usually does not last more than 12 to 14 hours. MEDICATIONS: Take the antibiotics and pain medication prescribed by Dr. Zevon according to the pharmacy instructions. Don't take the pain medication on an empty stomach, as this will produce nausea and vomiting. Have another adult give you the pain medication at the correct time and/or keep written records of how much you take and when you take it. You do not have to take the pain medicine if you are not in pain, but you must take all of your antibiotics. Do not drive while taking pain medication. WHAT TO EXPECT: Your breasts will be bruised (black and blue discoloration) and swollen after this surgery. The bruising will last for approximately 2 weeks. The swelling will diminish gradually over several months. Your breasts will be sensitive to direct stimulation, so you should avoid much physical contact. When your breasts are no longer sore, physical contact is fine. You may feel a burning sensation in your nipples; this will subside as the bruising fades. Sensory changes can result after breast augmentation surgery. Most of these changes resolve on their own over time. It is not unusual for the two sides to look different and feel different, but differences should be reported to Dr. Zevon during your post-op visits. SCARS: Your scars will be firm and pink for at least six weeks. Then they may remain the same size for several months, or even appear to widen. After several months, your scars will begin to fade, although they will never disappear completely. If you have scars on your breasts, you should use sunscreen if you are in the sun in a bathing suit during the first year after your breast augmentation surgery. CALL DR. ZEVON IF YOU HAVE: A) severe pain not responding to pain medication; B) significantly more swelling and/or pain on one side than the other; or C) a chest wrap that seems too tight. DON'T TAKE CHANCES! Call if you are concerned about anything you consider significant. During office hours, call (212) 496-6600. After hours, call (917) 612-3800. DRESSINGS & WRAP: Dr. Zevon will wrap your breasts after the breast augmentation surgery. Different wraps are used for different patients. He will use either an Ace-type bandage or a sports bra and a chest wrap. Do not remove the wrap until Dr. Zevon allows you to do so. HYGIENE: Dr. Zevon usually covers gauze dressings with plastic. The plastic will keep the dressings dry so you can shower at any time. If you have been placed in a sports bra, you can remove the bra for showering. SLEEP: Sleep on your back or on your side, but do not sleep on your stomach for 4 weeks. DRIVING: For planning purposes, you can anticipate that you will not be able to drive for a week or so. You may find that you are ready to drive in less than a week, or that you are not ready at the end of the first week. Dr. Zevon usually tells patients not to drive until they are recovered sufficiently that if they were driving and had a car accident they could truthfully state that the recent surgery had no impact on their ability to react in the emergency. ACTIVITY RESTRICTIONS: Do not raise your arms above your shoulders for 2 weeks, and DO NOT CARRY ANY HEAVY WEIGHTS, BAGS OR PACKAGES for 4 weeks. Dr. Zevon will monitor your recovery during your post-operative visits and allow you to resume your routine physical activities as you heal. You can go for walks at any time. MASSAGE: Dr. Zevon recommends massage beginning 3 days after surgery. Gently knead (squeeze) the breast for several minutes, several times a day. You should massage at least until the implants settle. It takes several months for the breast implants to soften and settle completely, although most of the settling occurs during the first 2 months. Dr. Zevon recommends continuing to massage your breast implants to minimize the likelihood of occurrence of capsular contracture. HERBAL REMEDIES: Some breast surgery patients report that arnica contributes to a reduction in bruising or swelling, resulting in reduced discomfort and edema, and improved healing. At your pre-op visit, ask us if you wish assistance in locating a source of arnica so you will have it available. Take arnica orally according to manufacturer's instructions on the packaging. IF YOU NOTICE ANY SIGNS OF INCREASING FIRMNESS OF ONE OR BOTH BREASTS, EVEN MONTHS AFTER YOUR SURGERY PLEASE NOTIFY US PROMPTLY SO THAT TREATMENT CAN BE STARTED. SILICONE IMPLANT PATIENTS: Rupture of a silicone breast implant is usually silent. This means that neither you nor Dr. Zevon will know that your implant has ruptured. The rupture detection level of a plastic surgeon familiar with breast implants is 30% as compare with 89% for an MRI study. You will need regular screening MRI examinations to determine if you have had a silent rupture. You should have your first MRI at 3 years after your initial silicone implant surgery and thereafter every two years. POST-OPERATIVE APPOINTMENTS: It is important to see Dr. Zevon as scheduled after surgery. Check your post-operative instructions for your first appointment. If you don't have an appointment, call (212) 496-6600, tell the receptionist the date you had surgery and she will schedule your post-operative appointment. At each post-operative appointment, Dr. Zevon will advise you when to schedule the next one, taking into account your rate of healing. Ideally, breast augmentation patients have post-op appointments at 1-2 days, 7-10 days, 3 weeks and 3 months. The purpose of the appointments is for Dr. Zevon to make sure that you are healing properly and to allow you to return to normal activities consistent with your personal healing schedule. It is also the time to ask him about any questions or concerns you have about your recovery. Some patients find it helps to keep a list of questions to ask during each appointment. RECOVERY TIME INITIAL: 7 days SUBSTANTIAL: 3 to 4 weeks RESUMING NORMAL ACTIVITIES WORK: Follow the plan you and Dr. Zevon have agreed upon. For planning purposes, you can assume that you will be able to return to work within 5 to 7 days, although some patients are able to return to work sooner depending on the level of activity required. If your job involves heavy lifting, you may not be able to return to work for several weeks. EXERCISE: Avoid vigorous activity, including strenuous sexual activity, and contact sports for at least four weeks. Do not lift heavy weight (more than 10 pounds.) During this time, walking is fine. Dr. Zevon will give you permission to increase your activities according to the progress of your recovery and your overall fitness level. EXPOSURE TO SUNLIGHT: Scars take at least one year to fade to their greatest extent. During this time, it is advisable to protect them from the sun. Even through a bathing suit, sunlight can reach the skin and cause damage. Be especially careful if areas of your breast skin have reduced sensitivity. Use a high SPF sunscreen. We carry sunscreens suitable for post-surgery patients. YOUR WARRANTY Dr. Zevon uses breast implants manufactured by Inamed, a division of Allergan. The company currently offers unlimited free lifetime replacement of saline or silicone breast implants if they deflate or rupture. Make sure you have your warranty booklet, read it carefully, and ask us if you have questions about what is covered and what is not covered. If a saline or silicone breast implant deflates or ruptures, you will receive from the manufacturer free unlimited lifetime replacement of the implant with the same style and size of breast implant. The basic warranty also includes payment of up to twelve hundred dollars per implant replacement surgery toward expenses of replacement such as surgeon's fee, anesthesia and/or facility fee not covered by insurance if the surgery occurs within ten years of the original surgery. An upgraded warranty is available for payment of $100. As of November 20, 2006, patients having silicone implants are automatically enrolled in the upgraded warranty program. The principal advantage of the upgrade is it covers to other breast if that implant is fine; this would be an advantage if you decided to change your size/style. At www.drzevon.com/FAQ_breast_implants_warranties.html we discuss the basic and upgraded warranties in more detail, and addresses circumstances that are excluded from coverage.
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The shape of THINGS to comeSM - Dr. Zevon is a board certified plastic surgeon practicing in New York City. At his plastic surgery office in Manhattan, he performs cosmetic surgery procedures such as liposuction, tummy tuck, face lift, and eyelid surgery. Dr. Zevon also specializes in breast surgery procedures such as breast augmentation, breast implants and breast lift. Visit Dr. Zevon's extensive archive of plastic surgery before and after photographs. New York City · Breast Augmentation: Board-certified plastic surgeon Scott J. Zevon MD maintains this website to provide general health information to the public, not medical advice to individuals. If you are interested in a breast augmentation procedure, please contact us at our Manhattan plastic surgery office to schedule a consultation with Dr. Zevon. |