Compression Vest

[Clownie]

So I just had Gyne surgery by a well experienced surgeon in my  area. I am on my 4th day post op and when I look at my chest it looks great, better than an average person's chest (good genetics I guess)...but one thing thats puzzeling me...is that I was not required to wear a compression vest. I just had to wear compression dressings(something like maxi pads on your chest lol) and that was for only 2 days. Now i just have waterproof bandages covering my nipples and the drainage areas. Was anyone else not required to wear a compression vest? Oh and on another note, I feel like my chest is stinging sometimes is this normal? like a small pin piercing my chest, and another question, I smoke about 4 cigs a day, will that significantly hinder my healing?

[opus_dei]

Stinging and other pain sensations are completely normal. I am not quite sure what kind of procedure you had (liposuction/ and or excision), but regardless, nerve endings have been destroyed and as the nerves start re-making their connections, all kinds of weird sensations will be felt.

I underwent excision and liposuction and I would feel intense bouts of shooting pains that would last for a few seconds, for several weeks.

[opus_dei]

Smoking, in general, slows down the body's healing functions by saturating the blood with carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide thus affecting healing. Also, smoking is known to discolour the incision scars.

Having said that, my surgeon was fine with me smoking right to the day of the surgery saying that I was "healthy". However, I quit smoking regardless (I used to smoke just over a pack a day). More than the surgery itself, I feel, quitting smoking has been the better decision I made!