An issue that I review with my patients during their consultation for a breast augmentation in Scottsdale is how soon after surgery can they can exercise. This is of acute interest to those who seem to inhabit fitness centers as their home away from home. However, most women do want to know this answer for many reasons including not risking the results of their surgery.
There is no fixed scientific answer for this but I will share with you what I have found that works and minimizes your risks for complications, most notably bleeding including the formation of a hematoma (blood accumulating in the pocket around the implant). In the rare situation where a patient does develop a hematoma, invariably she either engaged in an activity that she was instructed against or took blood thinners such as aspirin or anti-inflammatory medications such as ibuprofen, Motrin®, naprosyn, or Aleve® within 10 days of surgery – before or after.
Typically, you should avoid heavy lifting, straining, aerobics and sports for 3 weeks following surgery. This would also include any activity that will significantly increase your heart rate and/or blood pressure (such as jogging/running). If you do pectoralis muscle strengthening exercises, you should wait until at least 8 weeks after surgery before restarting them.
Other plastic surgeons may have different recommendations and alternate ways of doing things. This doesn’t mean that one way or another is necessarily right or wrong, at least within a certain range. However, I have seen and heard of other plastic surgeon’s patients who resumed full work-out activities within one week, developed hematomas and had to be taken back to surgery to evacuate the accumulation of blood. This is a largely avoidable and unnecessary additional expense and recuperation.
If you would like more information about a breast augmentation in Scottsdale or any other plastic surgery procedure that I perform or to schedule a consultation with me, please call my office at 480-451-3000.
Steven H. Turkeltaub, M.D. P.C.
Scottsdale and Phoenix, Arizona