General Information

Keep all bandages dry and in place for 24 hours. You may remove your gauze and ace wraps and shower (if you desire) the next morning and then replace the wraps after your shower - do not remove the steri-strips over the incisions.

Use arms as tolerated - let comfort be your guide.

Most women like the support of the wrap for the first 7-14 days. However, if you prefer to remove the wrap after you start the exercises (3-4 days after surgery) feel free to do so.

No smoking for 1 week after surgery - try and quite all together - it’s a really bad habit.

Do not drive for 1 week. After 1 week, avoid situations where fast movements are required - you will be sore and will not be able to move as fast as normal or with normal strength.

Sleep on your back with head elevated using 3-4 pillows, couch pillow, or in a lounge chair for 1-2 days to minimize swelling.

Rest in bed quietly the rest of your surgery day. You may be out of bed the next day, but be gentle with yourself.

Medication
Take extra-strength Tylenol for discomfort. Take your pain medication for pain.

Take one pain pill every 4 hours though out the first night of surgery - set your alarm clock for this. You may take up to two pain pills every 3-4 hours if needed. The day following surgery, evaluate your pain and take Tylenol or pain medication as required. Pain is very individual among patients and is hard to predict - some patients only take Tylenol after this operation and some require pain medications for several weeks. But most patients require the pain medications for 2-3 days following surgery. Your pain medications will not totally relieve all the pain, but should help you bear the worst of it. It is quite common to have a burning feeling that may last several days to weeks - take your pain medication as required.

Take antibiotics as directed four (4) times a day until they are finished. Yeast infections can be caused by the antibiotics. Should you develop a yeast infection while on these medications, then an over-the-counter vaginal suppository should be purchased or call your regular Ob-Gyn physician.

Muscle relaxers are given to help prevent muscle spasms when we insert submuscular implants. Take these four (4) times daily - these could be increased to 2 tablets 4 times daily for several days if you are having significant spasms (they feel like momentary sharp stabbing pains that last several seconds and then subside).

Try and take your pain medication, antibiotics, and muscle relaxers at different times to avoid nausea.

NO Aspirin, Ibuprofen, or naprosyn for 1 week following surgery

Itching can also be caused from your pain medications. For itching, stop the pain medication and take extra-strength Tylenol for pain and then take Benadryl 25 mg, one or two capsules every 4-6 yours as needed to help stop the itching.

For nausea, try and take your pain medication with food. If nausea persists, stop the pain medication and try taking extra-strength Tylenol, two tablets every four hours. If nausea still persists, you may need a prescription suppository. You will need to call us for that prescription, and please have your pharmacy number ready.

Remember, the pain medication can cause constipation, itching, and nausea, so the sooner you can get off the pain medication and use only Tylenol, the better.

For constipation, you may use milk of magnesia or a stool softener of your choice.

Calls

We will call you the night of surgery and the next day to check your progress.

Emergency calls can be made at any time. However, we ask that you limit these to the unlikely situations of:

excessive bleeding, severe swelling, more on one side than the other (minor degrees of swelling differences are common
severe pain that is not controlled with your pain medication
fever over 101.5 degrees that does not resolve with Tylenol. The most common cause of a fever for the first 2-3 days following surgery is failure to take deep breaths - so be sure to take your pain medications and every hour while you are awake, take several deep breaths
shortness of breath (some shortness of breath is common due to pain in the rib area following surgery)
severe chest pain not relieved with your pain medications
vomiting that is not relieved by switching from your pain medicines to Tylenol.
General calls and prescription refills should be carried out during normal office hours. Please anticipate your pain pill needs before the weekend!

Miscellaneous
Nipple discharges are rather common following breast surgery and are not cause for alarm. Generally these subside in several days to several weeks.

Interruption of your normal menstrual cycle is also quite common following the stress of surgery. Don’t be concerned about a period that is interrupted or started early.

Most patients have some numbness following this surgery. Most sensation will return in the first 3-6 months. Sensation can return for up to two years following surgery and if you still have a numb area after that time, it will probably be permanent.