Implant questions

For those who had implants under the muscle...

How long did it take for your implants to drop?

How long did you wear the compression garment?

How long did you wear a sports bra?

What did you wear at night?

Did your breast get sore when the implant dropped?

Were you able to move your implants when you massaged them daily?


Thank you in advance...

Debbie

Hi Debbie,
My implants didn't fully drop until about 5 or 6 weeks out. I alternated between the compression bra and a sports bra. I eventually was able to wear my underwire bras when I'd go out of the house. I would and still do wear my sports bra to bed. The fact is with age and lack of support our boobs will sag again in time and I am doing everything possible to slow that down and to prevent it from happening sooner than it has to. I never go braless. I was not told by my surgeon to keep wearing the sports bra to bed but I'm just not taking any chances. I like feeling supported.

My breasts were sore for a couple of months. It's the muscle work that seems to make them so sore. I made it a point to massage mine and the implant moves inside the breast pocket. The massaging is important to help prevent capsular contracture.

Renee,

Thanks...once again you come to my rescue...lol  It sounds like I am on track...they haven't dropped yet but I am just now 5 weeks out. I massage them daily and one moves quite easily while the other one moves but not quite as much as the other. I'm not wearing anything to bed...it just feels so good at the end of day to take my garment off and let the girls breath. They seem to be a little more sore lately...maybe it's the massaging...hmmm

Thanks again,
Debbie

Hi.  These are good questions, very common.  A lot of them are an "it depends" kind of answer since no two patients are alike, and there are a lot of factors...

For those who had implants under the muscle...

How long did it take for your implants to drop?
I will give a patient with tight skin up to 3 months to drop.  

How long did you wear the compression garment?
For regular breast augs in patients wiht normal skin elasticity, I stop compression after a few days.  In a WLS patient with a lift, I recommend it for many months...even at night.  problem is the implants tend to drop in the latter group. So it depends on the risk of them dropping and the skin elasticity.

How long did you wear a sports bra?
As above.

What did you wear at night?
As above.

Did your breast get sore when the implant dropped?
I do think the massage can stretch the capsule and cause discomfort.  I always ask patients who are massaging to stop if they have pain.

Were you able to move your implants when you massaged them daily?
In WLS patients, who I feel do not typically form a firm breast implant capsule, I often will not recommend massage.  I will also avoid massage in certain other groups in whom I feel the impant is too mobile.

So massage of implants, like so many other things in medicine, is an individualized thing.

Gravity and simply sleeping on your tummy or side is often enough to keep a thick capsule from forming, and keep the implants moving.

Thank you Dr. L. I appreciate you taking your time to answer my questions.

Debbie