How long? (Recovery Question)

[zado611]

How soon is it after surgery that you are back to your self? I know pain will be there a lil still after, but back to your self enough so you can be social?

[zm]

Some guys on here have played football only after 2 weeks. from all the information on here, for a final result, depending on rate of healing, you're probably looking at around 6-9 months.

[Dr. Elliot Jacobs]

Recovery can be measured in various ways.

First, recovery from surgery with return of your regular stamina and a return to sedentary type activities: usually a few days to a week.

Recovery to full activities, sports, working out, etc:  Usually a minimum of one month.

Full recovery with no sense that surgery was even performed:  6 months minimum -- occasionally 9-12 months.

Dr Jacobs

[nygiants92]

Recovery can be measured in various ways.

First, recovery from surgery with return of your regular stamina and a return to sedentary type activities: usually a few days to a week.

Recovery to full activities, sports, working out, etc:  Usually a minimum of one month.

Full recovery with no sense that surgery was even performed:  6 months minimum -- occasionally 9-12 months.

Dr Jacobs

So after a month could one be able to go back to heavy lifting? Like bench pressing?

Also can you explain "Full recovery with no sense that surgery was even performed"? If you're all back to full activities after a month, what are the limitations during the "6 months minimum"?

[masked_1]

Im also curious to the heavy weights my arms are getting way to skinny. Need to bulk em up to match my new chest. 

[Dr. Elliot Jacobs]

For my average patient, the one month mark indicates that they are healed well enough to resume any type of physical exercise -- but starting gradually of course.  The only exception is that of contact sports, such as boxing and MMA, when blows to the chest could be anticipated.  I would then recommend two months prior to resuming these sports.  In essence, most patients can resume their normal lives after one month -- assuming they have been checked out by me and are healing well enough.

As for "full" healing -- in my terms, that means any firmness is gone, there is full return of sensation to the skin and nipples, the scars are flat and inconspicuous, the skin moves easily over the underlying fat and muscle -- in essence, it is as if no surgery had ever been performed -- except that the chest has a new shape.  It does not mean that the patient is limited in any way.

Dr Jacobs

[nygiants92]

OK thank you for that explanation. One more question, how long  is it usually after surgery that one could go to the beach with their shirt off and experience sun exposure?

[Dr. Elliot Jacobs]

Again, for the average patient, one can go out in the sun by one month.  Of course, everyone is different, so a final OK by your surgeon is required.  And sunblock on the scars will be necessary for a few more months.

Dr Jacobs

[shaknbake]

Again, for the average patient, one can go out in the sun by one month.  Of course, everyone is different, so a final OK by your surgeon is required.  And sunblock on the scars will be necessary for a few more months.

Dr Jacobs

I am curious how the sun will affect someone after surgery.  I've heard of this before, but never knew the reason behind it.  I know that the sun will cause the scars to remain more prominent somehow...I will be 6 weeks post op on Thursday, and have a vacation booked to Punta Cana starting March 25th (for one week).  I currently use small silicone patches over the incisions on the sides of the chest (I have none under the nipple, as all gland and fat was excised through the side incisions).  I was instructed that I may need to re apply these patches for up to a year to make the scar an unnoticeable as possible.  I was hoping to not use them the week on vacation, but I am concerned about what affect the sun will have.  I'm fair skinned, and use plenty of sunblock 60!  Does the sun exposure react to other parts of the surgical area as well? Thank you Dr. Jacobs!

[Dr. Elliot Jacobs]

Obviously, I am unfamiliar with your case so I cannot provide specific info for you -- you should check with your surgeon about this.

But in general for my patients, I allow sun exposure to the chest six weeks or more after surgery.  I do request a strong sun block on the scars.  Reason:  direct sunlight on a scar will keep it redder for a longer period of time.  It will have no effect on possible thickening of the scars, etc.

Dr Jacobs