First Day Instructions
- Send Dr. Yates photos and any questions
- Get up and walk
- Limit stretching and reaching with the arms
- A small amount of incisional bleeding is normal
- Bruising and swelling are normal and will last for days to weeks
- Take the garment off to shower. Water directly over incision is fine.
- Get off the pain medications as soon as possible
- Take antibiotics as prescribed
- Take stool softeners if you are taking any narcotics
- Take the single dose of Gabapentin if prescribed
- Stay hydrated
- Stay active, minimal bed rest is better for a safe and quick recovery
- Your next visit is at three weeks. In-person or online.
Three-Week Instructions
- Take off the incisional tape if it has been applied
- Start to apply scar cream daily for 2 months. Biocorneum, Biodermis or Mederma are good options. A very thin layer is all that you need and the bottle supplied should last
- Send Dr. Yates photos and any questions
- You are able to resume physical work and moderate exercise
- Full exercise at 6 weeks
- Areas of firmness and discomfort are common, massage as necessary
- If you feel you have been treated with exceptional care, leave a review!
- Schedule an online or in-person follow-up visit at 3 months.
Three-Month Instructions
- You have no limitations. Check-in with Dr. Yates with photos and any questions
One-Year
- You have no limitations. Check-in with Dr. Yates with photos and any questions
- Return to the office for postoperative photos
- Leave a kind review 🙂
General Recovery Tips
Bruising and swelling occur with almost every surgical procedure. Usually, the swelling lasts for only a few days to weeks. There are steps that can be taken before and after surgery to help minimize bruising and swelling… Read More.
Scars are the necessary trade-off of many plastic surgeries. The goal is a near-invisible, thin, skin-colored scar. Scars are ideally minimized by early attention but there are options for treatment of problem scars as well… Read More.
Stretch marks are the visible result of tears of the second layer of skin, the dermis. Stretch marks usually result from rapid stretching of skin, such as weight gain, or pregnancy. Treatment options for stretch marks such as removal, microneedling, and laser are available…. Read More.
Prepare your house for surgery
1-2 weeks before surgery you should have your childcare, work arrangements, and caretaker lined up. Depending on the procedure you may have a few recovery items on hand. Start with an organized, clean house and full pantry. If you are making meals, simple prep. meals and disposable dinnerware.
Prepare your body for surgery
The weeks before surgery are a good time to maximize a healthy diet and stay on top of exercise. Yoga and heart-healthy exercises are particularly valuable. For almost every procedure stopping smoking 6 weeks before surgery is valuable. For some it is critical. Avoid excessive alcohol and marijuana prior to surgery as well.
Check your medications and supplements
Some medications such as aspirin, fish-oils and some supplements can contribute to bleeding and bruising after surgery. If you would like to take SinnEcch for bruising you would want to do so before surgery. The benefit is mild in Dr. Yates’s opinion but some patients swear by it.
Stay away from illness
Avoid getting sick, wash your hands frequently and avoid contact will people who are ill.
Check the procedure list below for the time you should plan to take off of work or exercise. With most procedures, office work and light exercise are OK between one to three weeks. For most procedures, there are no restrictions after six weeks.
Dr Yates will give you most everything you need after surgery including garments, scar cream, and dressings as indicated. A few recommended additional supplies are
- Bed that reclines, recliner, or extra bed pillows
- Icy Hot back patch
- Loose baggy clothes
- Paper tape 1″
- Ice packs
- Stool Softener
- Ginger Ale
- Antacid such as Tums
- Melatonin (not to be used with pain medications)
- Benadryl
- Cortisone cream
- Neosporin
- Probiotics or yogurt
- Second stage Spanx or Flexees for appropriate procedures
- Flexible straws for drinking
- Water bottles/ Gatorade
- Entertainment such as DVD or Netflix
- Cell phone charger near bed and sofa
Arm Lift Recovery Tips
You should expect no significant bedrest after Brachioplasty. Get up and walk.
We use rapid recovery methods for all patients. Many patients require no narcotic pain medications. The pain is moderate but usually controlled with Tylenol and Ibuprofen. If narcotics are necessary they are only for 1-2 days.
There will be surgical tape on the incision. They can be left alone and will be removed at approximately three weeks. They are not “holding” the incision together, which is accomplished by internal sutures. The purpose of the tape is to protect the scar. If the tape comes off early apply new tape or leave it alone.
You can shower directly over the incision tape and breasts immediately. Any soaking should wait until the tape is removed at three weeks.
For toddlers or children that need a lot of care, you will want assistance for a week after surgery.
You can return to light lifting with the arms and a good walk at one week. You may return to moderate lifting with the arms (10-15 lbs) and heavier lower body lifting by three weeks and full exercise at six weeks.
Office and desk work can be resumed right away. For most physical jobs you can return at 3 weeks.
It is safe to resume sexual activity by two to three weeks after Brachioplasty.
Overaggressive activity can cause problems with healing. In the first week, we are worried about bleeding. This could result in a hematoma and a second trip to the operating room. In the first 6 weeks we are worried about the scar stretching from over activity as well.
The arms will look nice immediately after surgery. They continue to improve in swelling and contour over the next 2-3 months. The scar may take longer to mature and can require more aggressive scar management than some procedures.