Can swelling increase after compression vest is taken off?

[49er]

I got my operation 3 months ago.  For the time I was wearing the vest it was not noticeably swollen.  It was bruised for the first 2 weeks but it seemed very flat.  However, I took the vest off after 5 weeks.  Since then I have worn it for maybe 2 other weeks and I'm going to put it on now for another week.  I put it back on those times as it looked a bit swollen a few days after I took it off.  It doesn't seem swollen by much but it's more swollen than when I was wearing the garment.  I'm wondering is this normal?  Can it look more swollen 2-3 months after compared to 2-3 weeks after because the vest is not being worn anymore.  I'm just hoping it is not breast tissue reappearing.

[Litlriki]

I always tell my patients that when they stop wearing the vest, that they may notice puffiness they hadn't noticed while the vest was on.  This is completely normal.  Over time, the swelling will resolve in the tissues at the operative site, but there remains subtle swelling for months, and the compression will minimize that.  Just think of your lower leg when you wear socks--the area under the sock is smaller and less puffy than the area above the sock, where there is no compression.  Generally, we recommend compression for 4 - 6 weeks.  This amount of time is tolerable to most patients, and compression beyond 4 weeks doesn't seem to provide greater benefit.

I hope that's helpful.

Rick Silverman