After your breast reduction surgery, the following guidelines may be helpful. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to call Dr. Lynch at 60-448-6200.
- Following surgery you will be wrapped in an ACE bandage and a surgical bra to maintain compression. This will minimize the risk of a seroma developing and postoperative infection. Please keep the bandage/bra and surgical dressings on until your postoperative visit.
- Please notify the office if you experience fever, chills, redness or unusual swelling after surgery.
- Please finish taking all of your antibiotics as prescribed. Often, eating yogurt may help with minimizing some of the gastrointestinal side effects of antibiotics. If you are prescribed narcotics for pain management, it is important to stay well hydrated, and increase fruits and vegetables in your diet to minimize the side effect of constipation while you are on the narcotic.
- Please avoid strenuous upper arm/ chest muscle exercises for 6 weeks after surgery. Please limit lifting to no greater than 20 lbs.
- You will have a surgical drain from each breast for a few days. Please empty these drains and record the output as instructed (see attachment). You will have one suture in the lower portion of your breast. This suture will be removed at your second postoperative visit. All other sutures will absorb.
- You may remove your surgical bra and dressings 24 hours after surgery, for one hour to assess your surgical wound and skin. You will then place the surgical bra and ACE bandage back on. It is recommended that you wear the surgical bra/ sports bra for 24 hours a day/ 7 days a week for 21 days. You may remove the bra to shower/bathe.
- You may shower on the 3rd day after surgery. Please wear a cotton belt around your waist and pin the surgical drains to the belt while you shower.
- 4 weeks after surgery, you may begin to use products (vitamin E oil, Mederma, etc.) to minimize the surgical scars.
- You will receive a prescription for a mammogram 4 months after your surgery. This mammogram will be in addition to your annual mammogram and will become your postoperative baseline.
- Do Not Smoke
