Excerpted from The Ultimate Cleavage: A Practical Guide to Cosmetic Breast Enlargement Surgery

Written by Maxine Heasman   

Copyright © 1996 - present day

 

'WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THE OPERATION AND DURING THE RECOVERY PERIOD?'

 

Do you get back pain? When will I feel normal? When did you feel able to resume everyday activities? Have you lost any sensitivity? Is it worth all the pain? How long before I can wear an underwired bra? These are just some of the numerous and varied questions that I have been asked regarding the recovery period and beyond.

 

The following section contains information and advice that has been compiled from personal experience - my own and that of many other women who have been through breast augmentation surgery. Information has also been obtained from the questionnaires used in my research survey and from the post-operative information literature I have seen during the course of writing this book. Further information was obtained during conversations with several plastic/cosmetic surgeons, clinics, agents, anaesthetists, practice nurses, hospital nurses and from the books, videos and articles listed on page 118.

 

It is once you are at home after the surgery that the full realisation of what you have just done will begin to sink-in. For me, and the majority of women who have contacted me, this was a time when I felt particularly vulnerable, alone and, at times, quite scared. Whether caused by lack of time, busy work schedules or lack of empathy, it would seem that most women have to muddle through their own recovery with very little contact from their surgeon or clinic and with few, if any, people around them who have any experience or understanding of the recovery procedure. Unfortunately, the secrecy and privacy which surrounds the choice to have breast implants results in many women having no one to confide in or talk to. It would be so much easier if more women were open about their breast implants. When I was inspired to write this book, I wanted it to be there for you in much the same way as having a friend to hold your hand throughout the whole experience. What you will read in this section (and throughout the whole of this book) are the thoughts and experiences of a wide variety of women aged between 25 and 59 who underwent breast augmentation surgery during the 21 year period from 1975 to 1996.

 

WAKING UP WITH BIGGER BREASTS!

 

The actual surgery usually takes no longer than one hour - it is a relatively short operation and this should be a comforting thought for those women who are concerned about undergoing a general anaesthetic.

 

Very shortly after the surgery, you will be brought round from the anaesthetic and taken back to your bed. The nurses will fit the support bra for you - either immediately after you emerge from the operating theatre or at some point shortly afterwards. Judging by my own experience, you will probably find that you drift in and out of consciousness for the first couple of hours. I went into surgery at 3pm and by 5.30pm I was awake and watching the TV!

 

You will be feeling quite sore and heavy around the chest area and it is unlikely, once you eventually pluck up the courage to look under the sheets, that your first reaction will be delight. My first thoughts were that my new breasts were huge and looked like rigid rockets and I wondered what on earth I had done!

 

As part of my research survey, I asked women to give me their honest initial reaction when they looked at their new breasts on the day of the operation, and here are some of the different responses:

 

"Oh s**t, where did they come from? God they're ugly, I've turned into Dolly Parton." SPY031 - Birmingham

 

"Oh my God, they're big." C012 - Hampshire

 

"Disappointment and burst into tears." C027 - Norfolk

 

"I had two massive cones stuck on my chest - it all felt very tight and heavy and was extremely tender." SPY032 - Kent

 

"Relief, then taken aback because they looked like large cones, very false." SPY055 - Yorkshire

 

"The first time I looked down I expected huge boobs but all I saw was a bandage over a flat chest with slight bumps. The pressure bandage held them flat." SPY056 - Avon

 

"When I came round from the operation I thought "Oh God! I've finally done it, it's all over now". I was curious to have a closer look and I then thought "Yes, I'm a woman now,  I'm big now - no more staring from both men and women." C073 - London

 

"At first I thought they looked too far apart but after a few days I realised they weren't." SPY067 - London

 

"I can remember looking down and thinking that I was going to have to spend the rest of my life trying to hide these two points that were on my chest." SPY047 - Middlesex

 

The next time you read an article where the woman says she was delighted from the word go, take it with a pinch of salt!

 

I felt quite comfortable just lying still in the hospital bed and was reluctant to move - it took a tremendous amount of effort to turn to the side and lean over to look at my watch or answer the telephone, both of which were located on the small cabinet next to the bed.

 

Unless you are a particularly energetic person, you will probably have a very early night. I asked the nurse for a sleeping tablet and was out like a light by 10pm that night - it had all been a bit too much! Some women, however, have reported difficulty in sleeping during their overnight stay.

 

“I was quite together but restricted in movement, I never got a lot of sleep the night I stayed in hospital - I just wanted to get home”. C011 - Avon

 

As it can take up to 24 hours for the immediate effects of a general anaesthetic to wear off, it is important that you do not try to get out of bed on your own - please ask a nurse for assistance.

 

The next morning I awoke and realised the full consequences of what had happened the day before! My pain threshold is particularly low and I found the soreness and heaviness in my chest very unpleasant. You can read more about my feelings in my diary.

 

Later on that morning the surgeon came to have a look at his handiwork. With much reluctance, I had to get up out of bed and walk with him and the nurse to the bathroom where I stood in front of the mirror. The surgeon then removed the support bra and examined my breasts whilst encouraging me to feel them also.

 

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