Realistic expectations. for surgical outcome.

[Paa_Paw]

There have been a lot of posts lately from people who are days or even a couple of weeks post operative. They are alarmed at the fact that their chest is swollen and not at all what they had hoped for.

Watching people come and go over the years has taught me that many people expect instant results. Sorry guys, but real life is not often like that.

There is a case once in a while where a person is happy from the moment the bandages come off, but that is not as common as many people expect. Usually there is at least some post operative swelling and sometimes a lot of swelling. The internal scars are initially hard as well. It will take time for the swelling to go down and for the scars to soften. Don't think days or weeks, Think in terms of months.

Even among the most vocal in the early weeks, most are happy within a year and yes, in some csses it could take that long.