What to Expect?
Breast implant exchange surgery is an outpatient procedure, performed under general anesthesia. In most cases, patients will be in and out of surgery in a few hours, and back home to recover same-day.
The breast implant exchange surgery recovery process can vary depending on the nature of the exchange: generally, women who increase the size of their implants will have a little more discomfort than those who get new implants of a similar size.
Recovery Time
Although still very tolerable, patients will endure the worst of the pain during the first two to three days following their surgery; medication is available to help minimize this discomfort. There may also be some swelling and bruising that lasts for a few weeks. Patients will be advised to forgo strenuous physical activity, especially lifting, for a few weeks; however, most patients can resume the majority of their regular activities, including driving and sitting at a computer, within two weeks.
While most women will notice results immediately, there may be some swelling present for three to six months; as such, it may take that much time before the implants settle into their final position and the full results can be discerned.
