Busy professionals who are interested in plastic surgery often balk at the idea of taking time off from work for the recovery process. If you’re interested in breast reduction surgery but are concerned about how much recovery time will be required, it’s best to do some research before your in-office consultation. In this blog, we’ll cover the healing process in detail.

What Is Breast Reduction?

Women with overly large breasts may experience lower back pain, neck and shoulder pain, and posture issues. They may feel extremely self-conscious in public and might find it very difficult to find bras that fit them. Rashes beneath the breasts, trouble with sports and exercise, and painful shoulder indentations are also common problems for these women.

If you find that your breasts are too large and are causing you physical and emotional issues, then you may be interested in a breast-reduction procedure.

Breast reduction, or reduction mammoplasty, is a plastic surgery used to reduce large breasts by one or two sizes, depending on the patient’s needs and preferences. This is accomplished through the removal of excess fat deposits, glandular tissue, and skin from the breasts.

Recovery After Breast-Reduction Surgery

It can take around two weeks to recover from a breast-reduction surgery. The length of time that you need to keep the dressings on will depend on how quickly your incisions heal. The stitches will be removed after a week or two during a follow-up appointment, unless they are dissolvable.

You will need to wear a supportive bra 24 hours a day for up at least up to three months after the breast-reduction surgery. This will help the breast tissues recover and heal. Avoid wearing bras or apparel that is too tight around your chest for at least two weeks after your breast-reduction surgery.

After your breast-reduction surgery, it may take several weeks or months for the full and final appearance of your reduced breasts to be obvious. This is because it takes time for the swelling to ameliorate.

Activities to Avoid During Recovery

You may need to take a week or two off from work to recover properly, but after that, once cleared by Dr. Gikas, you can return to your busy schedule.

You should stay away from physically taxing activities like stretching, doing strenuous exercise, and lifting heavy objects for up to at least six weeks after the operation. Avoid driving for ideally at least a week – you can start driving again when it’s no longer painful for you to wear a seatbelt.

You are advised to take as much rest as possible, and you should avoid activities like swimming and wearing any kind of special materials that could react with your breast skin after the surgery.

Find Out More from Dr. Gikas

If you’ve weighed the pros and cons of breast reduction and have decided that the procedure is right for you, contact our office and arrange an informative consultation. Dr. Elias Gikas is an experienced board-certified plastic surgeon with numerous satisfied patients and will be happy to answer questions.