Breast Reconstruction Recovery Steps

Breast reconstruction can be an emotional time for a Houston woman. Not only is she in the thick of her breast cancer treatment plan, but she is also facing a mastectomy and losing a part of her natural womanhood. For these reasons, the recovery from breast reconstruction surgery is all that more important than is the recovery from an elective breast procedure. Read on to learn more about the steps you’ll need to take when recovering from your breast reconstruction surgery.

Arrange for Someone to Drive You Home

Because you’ll be receiving general anesthesia on the day of your breast reconstruction surgery, you won’t be allowed to drive yourself home from our Houston surgical center. Instead, you’ll need to arrange for a family member or friend to drive you home.

Rest, Rest, Rest

Cancer is exhausting in every way thinkable, and recovering from surgery during this time makes life even more complicated. After your Houston breast reconstruction surgery, you’ll want to plan plenty of time to rest and heal from your procedure. To make things easier around the house, you may want to coordinate with family or friends to help with childcare if needed, housecleaning and meal preparation as it will be important for you to stay off your feet and not lift anything heavy while you are recovering.

Find a Comfortable Position in Which to Sleep

Houston women won’t be able to sleep on their bellies after a breast reconstruction surgery, so you’ll need to find a different position to sleep in, such as your back or side with additional pillows. Some women even prefer to rent a recliner, if they don’t own one, to sleep in while they are recovering from surgery.

Manage Your Pain

Breast reconstruction can be a painful procedure from which to recover. This is especially true if you have a tissue-based breast reconstruction and have multiple healing incisions on your body. It’s important that you take the pain medication prescribed by Dr. Fusi & Dr. Craig exactly as directed, even if that means waking up in the middle of the night, so you don’t miss a dose.

Keep All Your Appointments

We know that mastectomy patients don’t merely have plastic surgery appointments. Even as you are recovering from your breast reconstruction, it’s important that you keep appointments with all of your care providers, especially your Houston cancer specialists.

Expect Multiple Follow-ups with Dr. Fusi & Dr. Craig

Because your health and well being is so important to us, you can expect to have multiple follow up appointments at Dr. Fusi & Dr. Craig’s Houston office after your breast reconstruction. This is to ensure you are healing properly from your surgery.

Contact Dr. Fusi & Dr. Craig at the First Sign of Infection or Complication

While rare, some Houston breast reconstruction patients will develop fevers, infections or other complications after their surgeries. If you show any of these symptoms, contact Dr. Fusi & Dr. Craig right away. 

To learn more about the breast reconstruction recovery process, schedule a consultation appointment with Dr. Fusi & Dr. Craig by calling (713) 346-9909.