In this post, we find out When Can You Drive After Breast Augmentation, how long before breast augmentation should you stop drinking alcohol, how soon after breast augmentation can i fly, and when can you drink alcohol after laparoscopic surgery.

Many women are interested in breast augmentation to improve their appearance and self-confidence. Though this is considered a safe procedure with short recovery times, patients should take care to follow all postoperative instructions as given by Phillip Dauwe, M.D. Plastic Surgery, including when they can start driving again.

Today, board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Phillip Dauwe reviews the details of breast augmentation in Dallas and what factors influence recovery. Call now to schedule a consultation and see how this popular treatment can benefit you.

What goes into breast augmentation?

Breast augmentation is a surgical procedure that increases breast size and improves breast shape. It can be performed using silicone gel implants, saline implants, or fat grafting. In some cases, a combination of these techniques may be used.

Dr. Dauwe makes decisions like implant placement and location ahead of surgery. We also determine the size, shape, and type of implant that will best suit your goals and body type. Patients should come prepared with questions and concerns so they can be addressed during the consultation.

Breast augmentation is an outpatient procedure performed in about an hour. Once the implants are in position, our plastic surgeon closes the incisions carefully with several layers of sutures. Patients are then brought to a private recovery room for observation before being released home.

Wear surgical garments as directed: Some patients are asked to wear a compression garment or sports bra after surgery. These items help support the breasts as they heal.

Take pain medication as needed: Pain medication can help manage any discomfort you may experience. Be sure to check with Dr. Dauwe before changing or stopping any medications.

Rest and relax: Rest is essential for the first few days after breast augmentation surgery. Avoid strenuous activities, lifting anything too heavy, or participating in contact sports.

When can I start driving again after breast augmentation?

Patients should have a responsible friend or family member drive them home after breast augmentation surgery and help out around the house for the first few days of recovery. This allows you to focus on rest and relaxation without any complications. Driving is not recommended during the initial healing stages as this can cause pain or displacement of the implants.

Dr. Dauwe will provide a complete timeline for when to resume various activities after breast augmentation. In general, patients can drive when they are no longer taking pain medication and feel completely comfortable behind the wheel. This can take several days to one week after surgery.

When Can You Drive After Breast Augmentation

Within two hours after breast augmentation surgery, you will be able to stand.

You will be able to stand up and walk around within two hours after surgery. You may experience some numbness from the waist down, but it should be manageable. You may also feel dizzy or lightheaded due to general anesthesia and pain medication. Your chest will be swollen, but the bandage on your chest should help reduce swelling over time if you take care not to disrupt it while moving around during this initial period after surgery.

It takes several days for swelling to settle and you may feel very sore and uncomfortable.

You may feel very sore and uncomfortable. Swelling is normal, and it can take several days for swelling to settle. You can help reduce swelling by wearing a sports bra or other supportive clothing for the first few days after surgery.

To help with pain and swelling:

• Take pain medication as directed by your doctor. Ask about over-the-counter medications that might help with discomfort, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol), ibuprofen (Motrin), or naproxen sodium (Aleve). You may also want to use ice packs on the incision site to reduce swelling during the first 24 hours after surgery if you’re having trouble sleeping due to pain or discomfort in your chest area; keep in mind that icing isn’t recommended for longer than 20 minutes at a time because it could cause frostbite!
• Stand up within two hours of being awake from general anesthesia; walking helps reduce blood pooling under the muscle tissue during this time period so take advantage of every opportunity available without pushing yourself too hard too fast–you’ll get there eventually!

You should avoid stretching or excessive physical activity the first few days following your surgery but you are free to walk around.

You should avoid stretching or excessive physical activity the first few days following your surgery but you are free to walk around.

You can drive within a couple of weeks of your procedure as long as you are no longer taking pain medications.

After breast augmentation, most patients return to work in three to five days.

After breast augmentation, most patients return to work in three to five days. It is important to avoid heavy lifting, stretching or excessive physical activity the first few days following your surgery but you are free to walk around.

You should avoid strenuous exercise such as running, aerobics and weight training for at least three weeks after your procedure.

You can drive within a couple of weeks of your procedure as long as you are no longer taking pain medications.

If you are taking pain medications, wait until they are completely out of your system before driving. If you’re not taking them, but still experiencing discomfort, it’s best to avoid driving until the pain goes away.

If there is any chance that you will be at risk of getting distracted by your breasts or discomfort from them while driving, we recommend waiting until after surgery for at least three weeks before beginning to drive again.

Everyone heals at different speeds, but these guidelines can help keep you safe and comfortable.

You should be able to drive within a couple of weeks of your procedure as long as you are no longer taking pain medications and have had time to heal. Driving is actually one of the best ways to help your body heal from surgery, so feel free to strap on your seatbelt and get back out there!

You can return to work in three or five days depending on how strenuous it is for you. If you’re able to walk around and do light lifting at home during that time frame, then there’s no reason why returning would cause any problems with healing. Just make sure not too overdo it by stretching or exercising excessively just yet; those activities should be avoided until after about six weeks post-op (or whenever Dr. Smith says).

how long before breast augmentation should you stop drinking alcohol

One of the most commonly asked questions during our facelift, tummy tuck and breast augmentation pre-op consultations is if our patients have to stop drinking alcohol before surgery. We strongly recommend that our patients stop drinking alcohol for a minimum of 2 days before surgery, but the longer the better. But why? It all comes down to how well you will clot and heal.

Alcohol and Surgery: A Bad Combination

Your body gets used to metabolizing alcohol when you drink even two days in a row. Alcohol dehydrogenase is an induceable liver enzyme, meaning the more alcohol you drink, the liver must make more of this enzyme. Alcohol is also at times a depressant, and then an irritant – it makes you relaxed, and then actually more anxious. Just think about it – how do you feel when you have a hangover? All of this has an effect on your body when called upon to metabolize anesthesia drugs.

Drinking Alcohol Before Anesthesia

During many cosmetic surgical procedures like tummy tucks and mommy makeovers, you’ll be placed under general anesthesia using a combination of powerful drugs.  Anesthesia drugs must also be metabolized by the liver

When you drink alcohol before anesthesia, the alcohol can interfere with normal anesthetic drug metabolism.

This is a safety issue as drinking before surgery means your anesthesiologist will have a more difficult time estimating the correct doses needed for your comfort and safety.

Alcohol and Blood Clotting

When you are undergoing any surgical procedure, it’s important that your blood is able to clot normally so that you do not experience excessive bleeding on the operating table. Alcohol is a blood thinner and can affect your body’s ability to naturally clot blood, depending on the frequency and volume of alcohol that you drink.

What does that mean for you? If you have alcohol in your system, once your surgery is over, your wounds may not close or heal properly, which can lead to a host of very serious, very long term problems.

When Can I Drink Alcohol Before and After Surgery

I recommend to all of my patients that you stop drinking alcohol before surgery.  Ideally, you should top for at least one week prior. Let your system detox at least one week before a major surgery. You should also:

Give your liver and kidneys a rest before your plastic surgery so your systems are prime to metabolize and get you through the anesthesia necessary to accomplish your surgery. You will have a smoother recovery, and get your central nervous system back to normal more quickly.

how soon after breast augmentation can i fly

Breast Augmentation Recovery: When Can You Swim, Exercise, or Fly?

Breast augmentation, like any other surgery, requires a recovery period. If you’re like most women interested in breast implants, you likely want to know how to navigate this healing process. After all, it’s important to give yourself plenty of time to rest and relax after surgery. However, by following guidelines provided by your doctor, you can return to activities like swimming, exercising, and flying as soon as safely possible.

By knowing what to expect during the breast augmentation recovery process, you’ll be able to better prepare for any activities you have planned. Here is some advice we give to breast augmentation patients at our plastic surgery practice in Sacramento and Granite Bay, CA.

Swimming After Breast Augmentation

Most women can get back in the water around 3 weeks after surgery. After this waiting period, the skin tissues have had time to heal and become more water-resistant. Also, make sure your incisions don’t stay wet for an extended period of time after swimming. Whenever you get out of the water, be sure to dry off properly and avoid staying in your damp swimsuit top for too long. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons offers additional tips about breast augmentation and beach season.

Although many patients feel mentally “ready” to get back in the pool or ocean before 3 weeks, it’s important to let your body heal fully. If your 3 weeks aren’t quite up this summer, you can still enjoy time with friends and family by only going waist-deep in the water.

Exercising After Breast Augmentation

Gentle movement actually helps the breast augmentation healing process. Walking helps keep your blood flowing and prevents post-surgical complications. However, more intense cardio exercises (such as running or weight lifting) should wait until the 6- to 8-week mark. Exercising in the water, such as swimming laps, should wait until a full 2 months post-surgery.

Be sure to wear proper supportive garments when exercising after your breast augmentation. They will help your body adjust to the new breast implants and keep you feeling more comfortable.

Flying After Breast Augmentation

Because there is little physical movement during a flight, patients don’t have much to fear about flying after surgery. But, to stay on the safe side, it can be useful to wait until a week after surgery so you can avoid any unexpected complications mid-flight. Stay as relaxed as possible during your trip, and don’t lift or pull heavy luggage. If you have any medications or instructions from your surgeon, be sure to have them on hand and easily accessible.

By carefully supporting your body during recovery, your breast augmentation results will heal safely and look their best. Browse our before-and-after photos to see examples of patients’ post-recovery results.

when can you drink alcohol after laparoscopic surgery

When Can I Have Alcohol Before and After Surgery?

For most surgical procedures being performed at Specialty Surgical Center, we may ask you to avoid alcoholic beverages a few days before and after the operation. Your surgeon or nurse will tell you exactly how long you’ll need to stay away from alcohol during your pre-operative appointment. Some patients may want to let loose a few days before surgery or have a post-surgery celebratory drink, but our physicians warn that doing so is very dangerous!

Alcohol interferes with your blood’s ability to clot, which could make incisions and controlling blood loss during surgery particularly difficult. Bleeding out is a serious surgical complication that can result from thinned blood after consuming alcohol. Alcohol is also an anesthesiologist’s nightmare! We ask you not to have any alcohol after your surgery for the same reason: thin blood may make it difficult for your body to heal, which prolongs the recovery stage.

Alcohol disrupts how your body absorbs anesthesia, and as a result, may make some sedatives ineffective. Because of this, your anesthesiologist could give you additional doses of anesthetic without understanding your current state. This could be extremely dangerous. Fortunately, our team runs various tests before surgery to evaluate your pre-surgery condition. If you’ve had any booze, your surgeon will cancel the surgery indefinitely to avoid these complications. Here are other ways alcohol can affect the body: Healthline.com.

As previously mentioned, we strongly ask patients do not consume alcohol post-operatively because it may affect the length of your recovery. One of the most important reasons why we encourage patients to avoid alcohol consumption is because of the danger presented when alcohol is mixed with any pain medications we prescribe. Additionally, alcohol weakens the immune system and can increase the patient’s risk of infection.

Alcohol widens the blood vessels causing the body to swell up. The surgical area may already be swollen following your surgery, so additional swelling can be dangerous and tamper with the healing process.

Depending on your surgery, your physician may okay very mild alcohol consumption, and only after a certain period of time. However, you should never mix your pain medication with alcohol and wait until your physician gives the okay. If you have any questions or concerns, you can always call our office and we would be happy to tell you when it’s safe to consume alcohol again.

Specialty Surgical Center is located in Sparta, New Jersey, and our staff consists of board certified surgeons and anesthesiologists performing procedures in Orthopedics, Sports Medicine, Spinal Care, Podiatry, Urology, Pain Management, ENT, Hand Surgery, Lithotripsy, Brachytherapy, GYN, and Laser Surgery.