Breast Reduction

Showering

You can shower as early as the next day after your operation. Avoid baths or soaking as this will affect both your dressing and increases your chance for infection.

You can remove the outer bandages the next day after your operation. Leave the steri-strips on the incisions, even if they look a little bloody. If things are quite messy, please call Dr. Chung’s office for further instructions.

Shower with the paper tape on. It will stay on in the shower. You can pat them dry or blow-dry them dry after.

If the paper tape starts to peel at the edges, trim the peeling ends with scissors.

Dressings and bra

It is normal to have a some drainage from the incisions after your surgery. As long as the drainage is mostly clear (it can be yellow or pink-ish), it is normal.

For the first few days after your surgery, we advise using a feminine hygiene pad (as a less costly alternative to gauze) between your incisions and your bra just in case there is drainage.  Gauze is also fine.

You should wear a sports bra for support at all times, including during sleep for the first 6 weeks after surgery. This is to prevent premature bottoming-out of your breast as the tissues heal.

Pain control- Medications

You are not allowed to drive for a minimum of 48 hours.

Take medication for your pain:

For the first 24-48 hours, take the acetominaphen regularly whether you need it or not, but don’t wake up to take it (if you’re sleeping already).

    Take 2 regular strength Acetominophen (325mg x 2) every 4 hours. You should not take more than 4000mg in 24 hours from any pills that have Acetominophen in them.

    Take 2 regular strength Ibuprofen (200mg x 2) every 4-6 hours. You can take up to 600mg if you need the pain control and your stomach will usually tolerate it.

If more pain control is needed, take 1 Tramadol (50mg x 1) every 4-6 hours.

If you experience constipation, drink lots of water to start. You can also try prune juice or a product like Metamucil. Senokot S or something similar can also be an option.

Things to look out for:

Signs of infection include increased redness, increased pain, increase swelling despite not doing anything, fever, and sometimes, milky white fluid drainage. Most of the time the pain is around your incision and is one-sided, but not always.

Signs of a hematoma include increased swelling on one side of the chest that grows every hour. The swelling feels tense/hard and is sometimes very painful.

Sometimes there is increased bruising (Bruising should not get a lot worse after day 1 or 2.)

If you have any problems after surgery, please call the office at 905-273-4888. Someone is in the office to speak to you betwen 8:30am and 4:30pm weekdays.

For EMERGENCIES ONLY (e.g. a hematoma) there is a nurse on call. The Emergency number is your post-surgical package.

Please notify the clinic if you are admitted to a hospital within 10 days of your procedure.