Your breast reduction surgery was successful and you have been discharged and returned home. The most important part starts from here. Because the sooner you recover, the more you can maintain your result from the surgery and the better you take care of yourself, the faster you will recover.
First of all, you need to leave the hospital psychology aside. You have survived the surgery. You should now return to your daily life and adapt. Any activity you can do without damaging the operated area will be to your benefit. Moving accelerates blood circulation and your recovery will accelerate at the same rate.
Swelling and edema after breast surgery
After your surgery, you may still not see the reduction you expect in your breast. This problem caused by edema and swelling may bother you. You may want to get rid of this swelling to see that you get the maximum efficiency from the surgery, and you may even be afraid of edema. Do not be afraid because edema after breast reduction surgery is an expected situation and our body realizes this physiological change as a protective reflex.
Edema after surgery is not permanent and you can get rid of it with cold compress application. On average, your swelling will subside after 3-4 days. Pain may also be observed along with swelling. In this process, you can speed up this process with cold compress application.
Pay close attention to movement
We said that moving will speed up your recovery as it increases blood circulation, but you should be careful that the movements you make do not damage the operated area. You should stay away from raising your arms too high as reaching up will put the operated area at risk. Remember, if you expect a good recovery, you should avoid heavy work. This includes driving a car. Driving is not recommended for the first 7 days.
Recovery begins
You should drink plenty of water to speed up healing. As healing begins, your swelling will start to go down and it is normal to feel itching at the incision site. After the first four weeks, you can return to your normal life and do your activities slowly and carefully, including housework.
Even if you start to notice that your clothes fit better and your back and neck pain are less, never forget to be careful because even though your healing process is progressing, it will take some time for your body to accept this change.