| POSTOPERATIVE MASSAGE INSTRUCTIONS FOR BREAST IMPLANT SURGERY
We cannot over-emphasize how important your post-op massaging is in order to preserve your excellent results.
Those women who are willing to massage once or twice a day and do not shy away from aggressive massage will, almost without exception, have excellent results with soft natural feeling breasts.
Massaging begins after your sutures are removed. You will be taught by the physician and her staff how to massage directly only your own breast. DO NOT WORRY, YOU CANNOT BREAK THE IMPLANT. You should be able to make your fingers meet through the implant in both the vertical and horizontal directions. You should also move the implant around in its pocket to keep the pocket open. The best time to massage is in the shower or when you are warm and relaxed. You should massage once or twice a day for five minutes. AT THE EARLIEST SIGN OF HARDENING OF THE IMPLANT YOU MUST COME BACK TO THE OFFICE. Hardening can occur weeks, months, or even years after your surgery. If we catch it early it is possible to reverse the trend without further surgery. If you wait too long to return to see us you may need additional surgery to release the scar tissue around the implant. THIS WILL BE DONE AT YOUR EXPENSE and needs to be done in the operating room under general anaesthsia. A CAPSULAR CONTRACTURE (hardening around the implant) begins by a slight firmness relative to the other side. The implant rises up slowly, and the nipple starts to point down. There can be shooting pains or irregular lumps and bumps. It is also imperative that you call the doctor at the EARLIEST SIGN of a red or hot breast. If you have had surgery on your breast within the last 3 months, it is wise to take ANTIBIOTICS for dental cleaning or other medical procedures. Otherwise, bacteria from the procedure can infect the implant. If you have any questions about the massage technique or whether your implant is hardening, do not hesitate to contact us. GOOD LUCK AND HAPPY MASSAGING! back to top
CAPSULAR CONTRACTURE PREVENTION PROGRAM
Implant compression and movement reduces the chance of capsular contracture or implant hardening.
 What is Capsular Contracture? When the normal scar tissue capsule surrounding the implant grows tighter (contracts) around the implant, it can make the implant feel hard, distort appearance and cause discomfort.
Theory: If the pocket the implant sits in is slightly larger than the implant, then the scar pocket cannot contract or squeeze the implant and cause hardness.
Protocol: To prevent the scar capsule from contracting. These exercises help you use the implant itself to keep the pocket large enough.
First 3 months:
- Compression 30 minutes per day. Compress with hands. Lie on floor or exercise ball
- Move implant in pocket, 5-6 times per day. Rock it back and forth in the pocket.
- Squeeze implant with fingers to move
After 3 months: Compression and movement, 5-6 times per day. An easy way to remember: Do every time you go to the bathroom. Can be done through clothes.
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BREAST IMPLANT ANTIBIOTIC PROPHYLACTIC RECOMMENDATIONS:
It is recommended by our office for all patients with breast implants to take antibiotics prior to their procedure. This may help to prevent capsular contracture and infection. There have been no studies done to prove this prevents capsular contracture, but we highly recommend it. The procedures included are any surgical procedure, colonoscopy, dental procedure (teeth cleaning, root canals, etc.). If you have any questions on when to take the antibiotics, please call our office. We have included refills on your prescription in case you have multiple procedures in the future.
Protocol:
Amoxicillin, 500 mg: take 4 tablets 1 hour before procedure
*If allergic to penicillin then:
Clindamycin, 150 mg: take 4 tablets 1 hour prior to procedure or
Erythromycin, 250 mg: take 4 tablets 1 hour to procedure
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