How do I Prepare for Breast Reduction Surgery?


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Preparing for your breast reduction surgery is extremely important, as it will ensure that you are physically and mentally prepared to undergo a life- changing treatment. The most important thing to do in preparation for your surgery is to follow the advice given to your by your surgeon without fail. This advice will be given to ensure that you get the best possible results from your surgery in the most comfortable possible way.

Smoking before Breast Reduction Surgery

If you smoke then you should stop smoking for at least two months before your breast reduction surgery. Although this may seem extremely difficult, it is essential to ensure that your healing process is as quick and as risk free as possible.

Smoking prevents your body from healing properly. This is because it prevents oxygen from being correctly distributed around your body. Oxygen is needed for tissue to heal. Therefore, your healing time will be greatly prolonged if you smoke before or after your surgery. This will leave you with more discomfort, and you will have more noticeable scarring.

Medications and Breast Reduction Surgery

If you are on any medication, prescription or otherwise, you should always inform your surgeon so that they can ensure that the medication will not have any effect on your breast reduction surgery. This includes telling them if you are taking any herbal medications or any supplements.

You may be advised to stop taking some medications and it is important that you do so to prevent complications during or after the breast reduction surgery. If you are uncertain about stopping particular medications, you should speak to your GP. If they tell you that you are unable to stop taking a certain medication, it is important that you tell the surgeon about this as soon as possible. This may mean that you are unable to undergo breast reduction surgery.

Eating and Drinking before Breast Reduction Surgery

You will be given instructions about what to do involving food and drink before surgery. As breast reduction surgery is carried out whilst you are under a general anaesthetic you will not be able to eat or drink for around six hours before the surgery. You should eat a healthy and balanced diet in the months leading up to your surgery to ensure that your body is healthy and has the nutrients that it will need to recover. You should also stop drinking alcohol for at least forty- eight hours before your breast reduction surgery.

Preparing for Recovery from Breast Reduction Surgery

You will need to take between two and six weeks off work to recover from breast reduction surgery and should make sure that this is possible well in advance. There are also other measures that you should take to ensure that your recovery runs as smoothly as possible.

You will be informed of what type of bra you should wear during your recovery period. These will be soft cotton bras that will support the weight of your breasts to stop them from opening the wound. You surgeon can advise you on where to get these and you should ensure that you have a plentiful supply so that you can keep the area clean. You will also need large t- shirts to wear during the recovery period to make yourself comfortable.

You should make sure that you have someone near- by to take care of you during the recovery period. Initially this will involve driving you home and helping you with everyday tasks such as cooking and housework. Once your stitches have been removed you will be more independent but will still need someone at the end of the phone to help you where required. You should make sure that you have a phone at the side of your bed and where you will spend most time resting during the day.

During the recovery period, there will be many things that you are unable to do such as physical activity and work. As a result of this, you should ensure that you have something to entertain you during the day. You should make sure that you have books, magazines, films, and games at hand.

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