Special Considerations after Breast Augmentation

The way your breasts look immediately after surgery is not the way they will look when your recovery is complete. Changes take place in the body to create a more natural-looking result. These changes can include reduction in the appearance of scarring and settling of your implants.

To learn more about what to expect after surgery, request a consultation with Dr. Sorokin at his cosmetic surgery practice in New Jersey.

When will I look perfect?

Obviously the goal for New Jersey and Philadelphia breast enlargement patients is to be able to enjoy beautiful, symmetric breasts. It's only natural after surgery to want to see the results and check out your new look in the closest mirror you can find. But this early look in the mirror will almost always result in disappointment due to bruising and swelling.

Dr. Sorokin emphasizes to all of his breast augmentation patients from New Jersey and Philadelphia that they need to take time and wait for their final results to be revealed. It will often take at least 6 weeks to look "good" and final changes may not be revealed for up to a year.

What will happen to my breasts after surgery?

First, the breast muscles will tighten down around the implant and the muscle and tissues will then swell. This leaves the breasts with a very high looking position which is somewhat boxy and odd shaped. This occurs in over 99% of New Jersey and Philadelphia breast enlargement patients. Very often one side will swell more than the other.

Over the coming weeks and months, the muscles and breast tissue need to stretch and relax. During this time, Dr. Sorokin encourages his patients not to worry or jump to conclusions that they will have disappointing results. The following photographs are an example of this process:

Pre-Op	3 Days Post-Op Note the swelling.
2 Weeks Post-Op Still swollen but settling.	3 Months Post-Op Nice shape and position.

There are many different names for this phenomenon, but Dr. Sorokin likes to call it dropping and fluffing. Clearly, the implants drop into a more natural position, but you also may notice that gain projection once settled – hence the term "fluffing." While many plastic surgeons tell their patients about this phenomenon, Dr. Sorokin believes a series of pictures such as the ones above are worth a thousand words when it comes to understanding the changes around the time of surgery.

New Jersey and Philadelphia breast enlargement patients should understand that nothing can be done to speed up this process. If you are considering breast augmentation to look great for a particular event, such as a wedding or summer vacation, talk with Dr. Sorokin so you can time your surgery well in advance of these events.

There are many Web sites discussing breast implant settling. Dr. Sorokin believes that the JustBreastImplants.com Forum is an excellent resource for patients considering breast augmentation. Resources such as this offer support from women who have been through and are going through the breast augmentation process.

As always, if a patient is concerned about post-surgical bruising, swelling, or shape, she should call her plastic surgeon and be seen. Swelling should continue to decrease and should not increase. A rapid increase in swelling on one side could be signs of a hematoma or bleeding.

If you're considering breast cosmetic surgery, New Jersey plastic surgeon Dr. Evan Sorokin can help. Request an appointment with him online, or call 856.528.9563 to schedule your consultation.