Rapid Recover Breast Augmentation: A Faster Way To See Your Result

By Jerome Edelstein, MD

You most likely want to recover from your Breast Augmentation surgery and get back to your normal schedule as quickly as possible. The faster the better, which is why we perform Rapid Recovery Breast Augmentation.

We seek to make your recovery as quick as possible. The overall goal of Rapid Recovery is to minimize the use of strong pain medications, medical devices (like drainage tubes or pain pumps) and allow you to resume your normal activities within a short amount of time. You’ll be treated with expert skill and surgical caution, as well as be prescribed proactive medications in order to begin preparing your body even before surgery begins (rather than waiting until after). The use of proportionately sized implants and following your surgeon’s post-operative healing regimen also help lead to a faster recovery.Surgical Techniques & Equipment For Your Faster Breast Augmentation RecoveryDr. J. B. Tebbetts, a highly respected Plastic Surgeon from Dallas, Texas, is the pioneer of Rapid Recovery. In order to provide you with the best level of care, our Plastic Surgeons incorporate many of Dr. Tebbetts’ techniques, which have been further refined. These techniques are designed to allow you to return to normal activities as soon as possible after your breast augmentation. Secondary augmentations often take much less recovery time. In fact, 96% of participants who received Rapid Recovery techniques in the study conducted by Dr. Tebbetts, Achieving a predictable 24-hour return to normal activities after breast augmentation: part II. Patient preparation, refined surgical techniques, and instrumentation, were able to get back to their lives, performing such things as the following without compromising their results:

lift their arms above their heads

lift objects of normal weight

drive their car without narcotic medications

The Rapid Recovery technique has allowed many of our patients to return to normal non-strenuous activities within a short period of time, and to significantly reduce, and in some cases totally eliminate, the use of strong pain medications. Using less strong pain medication often leads to less postoperative nausea and vomiting.

Your surgeon at Edelstein Cosmetic starts the surgery by making a precise and meticulous incision. Any blunt dissection surgical techniques (like putting a finger in and sweeping it around to open up the pocket) are avoided and all operative dissection is performed under direct vision with the usage of advanced instruments. Any action that causes unnecessary bleeding is avoided and muscle relaxants are administered in order to minimize trauma to the chest muscle. Because of this, patients treated with Rapid Recovery techniques are often able to forgo drains and medical devices that complicate and prolong healing.

Patients experience a longer and more painful breast augmentation recovery when excessive tissue trauma and/or bleeding accompany breast implant insertion. Because of this, our Plastic Surgeons use extreme precision and gentleness in order to minimize any damage to the surrounding breast tissue. The only instrument that is used during the breast augmentation surgery is something called a forceps electrocautery. This instrument is used to not just create the pocket (space) for the implant, but to also seal blood vessels to eliminate bleeding. A fiberoptic lighted retractor allows for a complete view of everything so that the incisions and implants are placed precisely in optimal locations. For the transaxillary incision placement of breast augmentation (in the armpit), an endoscope is used, so that everything done can be observed on a video screen. This is unlike some surgeons, who perform the transaxillary approach “blind”. The “blind” approach means that the surgeon inserts a large instrument to bluntly open the pocket then place the implant by “feeling around”. The blind approach causes more trauma and bleeding as well as requires the insertion of drains, all of which contribute to a longer recovery period characterized by more discomfort, bruising and bleeding. Drains are not required and recovery is faster when your breast augmentation is performed by our Plastic Surgeons.

We also minimize the amount of time that patients spend under anesthesia, thereby decreasing recovery issues (nausea and/or vomiting) associated with their use. This leads to less tissue trauma, inflammation and bleeding, as well as works to cut down on pain and reduce the risk of complications, particularly capsular contracture. Our Plastic Surgeons have been able to reduce the rate of capsular contracture to just 1% compared to many studies in literature where the rate is 10%, or even a whopping 25% as recorded by a Health Canada study. Less risk of capsular contracture means that our patients do not routinely do post-operative massage. You’ll only need to perform massage after your breast augmentation if it is recommended, which is rare.Your Post-operative healing RegimenAn anti-nauseant is prescribed and is to be taken in the morning at home the day of the breast augmentation surgery, as is extended release Tylenol to help ease discomfort. A complete set of post-operative care instructions will be provided to you. Follow them to help expedite your breast augmentation recovery. The post-surgical exercise restrictions are particularly important.