How to Know when to Call the Doctor After Breast Implant Surgery

Many people, when faced with surgery, worry about the outcome in advance. This is often overwhelming and anxiety-inducing. Once they have come through the surgery and are released from hospital care, they might find themselves under-informed to deal with their medical situation (or that of a loved one who is home from the hospital). Here's how to care for yourself or another individual after breast implantation surgery.

1

→ Inform yourself in advance, if possible. Ask questions when meeting with the surgeon and the anesthesiologist prior to surgery. Once you (or your loved one) is in the hospital, ask the staff about specific care-giving tasks before you leave. This may involve how much and what type of physical activity the patient should participate in, how to bandage scars, warning signs to check for, etc.

2

→ Change the bandages according to your doctor's or nurse's instructions.

→ If you don't know how often to change them, call and ask. Do not open any professionally applied bandages "just to take a look". Ask your doctor or nurse whether you need to apply topical disinfectant and which kind is safe to use.

→ Buy rubber gloves, and sterile gauze or adhesive gauze bandages in the appropriate size in the drugstore. When changing the bandages, do not breathe in the direction of the scar. As long as the stitches are still in, the site is prone to infection because the skin is still broken.

3

→ Comply with the instructions concerning bathing. Usually, bathing is not permitted as long as drainage tubes are still in place. Whether you can bathe with stitches still in is a question of your overall health status and should be decided by your doctor.

→ Whenever your/their scars come in contact with water, pat them dry gently with clean (preferably sterile and disposable) material and apply disinfectant (if advised by the doctor) before applying clean bandages and putting on the post-surgery support bra and chest belt. If you do use regular towels, do not share towels with other people and launder them often, using the hottest available setting on your washing machine.

4

→ Try to prevent infection by foregoing physical activity. If the patient sweats, this will aid bacterial growth. Movement will place tension on the scars and increase the risk of opening them.

→ Put a care network in place and avoid any kind of strenuous activity. Order in the patient's meals, if nobody else can provide care. Don't let them lift anything heavy. Physically place your hands over your scars and apply pressure while laughing, sneezing, coughing, or doing anything that causes your chest muscles to contract.

TIPS

→ Research before the surgery goes a long way. Don't assume that everyone will give you the necessary information the day you leave the hospital. Check out hospital websites with information that walks you through the healing process. Since you will need some medical supplies, try to buy them in advance or make plans with a friend, family member, or acquaintance to go to the store for you and assist you with bandage changes.

Warnings

→ This article does not replace advice from a medical professional. When in doubt, always call the doctor.