A Breast Aug and Back To Life Before You Know It

You may know a friend or a family member who complained of considerable pain, swelling and bruising during their recovery from breast augmentation. If you’re considering having your breasts done, but are leery of a painful and drawn out recovery, you may be interested to learn of a technique that offers minimal swelling, little discomfort and allows you to return to your normal activities the very next day. Dr. Mark Epstein, a board certified plastic surgeon and breast augmentation expert in Stony Brook, New York offers his patients, “One-Day Breast Augmentation Recovery.”

by The Plastic Surgery Channel
and Mark Epstein, MD, FACS

The Importance of Patient Education

“One-Day Recovery Breast Augmentation is not a procedure, it’s a process.  It’s a process that begins with patient education,” states Dr. Epstein. Patient education occurs before the patient has a consultation. On his website, Epstein offers extensive material, educating prospective patients on many topics relevant to breast augmentation, including how and why surgery is performed a certain way, how implants are chosen, what limitations exist and what the recovery will involve. The education process continues when the patient meets with Dr. Epstein. He explains the expectations specific to their results and recovery during the consultation.

The next important part of the “One-Day Recovery” surgery process also takes place during the consultation. “Measurements are taken of the patient’s breast, the width, the thickness of the tissue, how stretchy it is, to determine the best implant to fit that breast to give the most natural results possible,” explains Epstein. By taking measurements of the breast to properly select implants that fit, Epstein is able to choose the right implant the first time, lowering the need for re-operation to adjust the size of implants.

A More Refined Surgical Approach

Epstein’s technique in the operating room differs from the traditional breast augmentation technique. It is less traumatic on the body, allowing the body to recover faster. He explains, “standard procedures involve blunt dissection, ripping, tearing breast tissue, causing pain after surgery.  The “One-Day” procedure involves a very a-traumatic technique, where tissues are gently dissected in their natural plane using an electric cautery rather than ripping and tearing and pulling.” The blood loss is also kept to a minimum, often less than a teaspoon per breast. By minimizing the internal trauma and the blood loss, the patient experiences less swelling and pain than traditional augmentation surgery.

Recovery is Key

The fourth and final component to the “One-Day Recovery” process takes place after surgery. “Postoperatively, the patient is given a specific set of instructions how to recover, so all they need is Tylenol® or Advil® after surgery. 98% of our patients never take narcotics. 98% of them are at normal activities and daily living, except for strenuous exercise,” says Epstein.

By combining patient education, tissue based planning, a refined surgical technique and defined post-operative instructions, Epstein’s patients are raising their hands above their heads immediately after surgery without pain, and many are able to enjoy an evening out of the house the very night of surgery. His patients are not confined by restrictive bandages and are able to think clearly without the foggy thoughts that often result when patients take narcotics. If you’re interested in having a “One-Day Recovery” instead of a traditional, find a board certified surgeon who has invested the time in learning the “One-Day Recovery” technique that Dr. Epstein practices, believes in, and has enjoyed watching his patients reap the benefit of.