POST-OPERATIVE INSTRUCTIONS

Following your surgery, it is important that you follow Dr. Revis’ post-operative instructions very closely. This will increase the likelihood of having an uneventful recovery, achieving the results you desire, and avoiding preventable complications.

If you should have any questions regarding these instructions or any other aspect of your care, please call Dr. Revis’ office at (954) 630-2009.

• Most importantly, relax following your surgery. Expect to have less energy than usual the first few days after surgery. The overall effects of undergoing surgery can take more of a toll on your body than you might expect. You need rest while your body heals.
• For the first ten days after surgery, do not take aspirin or aspirin-containing products (Bufferin, Anacin, Excedrin, etc.). If you need medication for a headache or other pain, Tylenol is safe when taken according to the directions on the label. However, your pain medication prescribed by Dr. Revis contains Tylenol as well. It is NOT safe to take regular Tylenol at the same time you are taking the pain medication because of the risk of permanent damage to your liver. Please read all labels carefully and be aware of the amount of medication you are taking.
• You may take the pain medication (usually Lortab) as prescribed by Dr. Revis. You should not drink alcohol or drive an automobile while on this medication. This medication may also make you drowsy or give you an upset stomach. If this is the case, ask Dr. Revis about alternative medications.
• You will also have a prescription for a strong muscle relaxant (usually Flexeril). This may be helpful to take if you are having muscle cramping in your back, chest, neck or shoulders following surgery. If you are taking pain medication and a muscle relaxant, do not take them at the same time because excessive sedation may occur. You may space these medications out by approximately one hour to prevent excessive drowsiness and disorientation.
• When deciding between muscle relaxant and the pain medication, it is usually best to use the pain medication for breast pain (discomfort of the breasts), and reserve the muscle relaxant for shoulder, neck and back pain (discomfort located away from the breasts).
• Take your antibiotics (usually Augmentin unless you are allergic to penicillin) until they are all gone – usually five days after surgery.
• You should be up and out of bed and walking around the evening following surgery to help prevent a blood clot from forming in your legs. However, walking, climbing stairs, sitting, and standing is all that you should do. No heavy lifting (anything greater than 20 pounds), exercising, running, bicycling, tennis, golf, dancing, etc. should be done until approved by Dr. Revis. This is generally allowed after three weeks.
• Advance your diet as tolerated following surgery. The anesthesia you are given may make you nauseated during the first day after surgery, therefore it is wise to drink liquids and eat only mild foods during this time (jello, mashed potatoes, soups).
• You will be prescribed Zofran, the very latest and strongest anti-nausea medication available. You may take this every six hours the day of surgery and the day following surgery. At that time, any lingering effects from your anesthesia should have worn off, making further anti-nausea medications unnecessary.
• Your pain medication may make you constipated, therefore you may wish to use Colace (100mg twice a day is a gentle stool softener) or Milk of Magnesia (30cc once or twice a day is a gentle laxative). These medications are available over the counter at most drug stores.
• You may remove your bandage on the second day following surgery. There will be a three-inch square piece of Telfa dressing over your incision. You may discard this. Over the incision you will find smaller tape bandages called steri-strips that are tightly adherent to your skin. These serve to protect the incision as it is healing. If these begin to peel off, you may gently clip any peeled up edges with a small pair of scissors. DO NOT actively pull them off of your incision, because this may result in bleeding and wound disruption. Dr. Revis will remove the tapes for you at your three-week postop visit.
• It is safe to shower on the second day following surgery, allowing the steri-strips to get wet. Afterwards, pat the steri-strips dry.
• You may wear a soft bra such as the surgical bra Dr. Revis places in the operating room or a sports bra, but not one with underwires or one that causes too much compression of the breasts (these do not allow your implants to settle properly and may result in your implants remaining too high permanently).
• Not everyone needs to massage their breasts after breast augmentation, although it does help in select cases. As Dr. Revis monitors your progress, he will instruct you in the proper way to massage your breasts if he feels this will help improve your results.
• Sauna and steam baths should be avoided for six weeks following surgery.
• Do not swim in a pool or the ocean for three weeks following surgery.
• Scars may become reddened before they fade. This is normal. Everyone heals differently, so be patient. However, by following these instructions you greatly increase your chances of having a good result. Dr. Revis will also instruct you in the use of Silagen to help improve the appearance of your scars.
• Do not tan your scars for the first nine months following surgery, because they are more sensitive to the sun during this period and may tan darker than the surrounding skin. This darkness, if allowed to occur, may be permanent. In general it is safe to begin using sunscreen on your incisions three weeks after surgery. Even if you are wearing a bathing suit, you should still cover your incisions with sunscreen during this early period of nine to twelve months. Tanning beds can be particularly injurious to your incisions, and this activity should be avoided completely during the first three months after surgery.
• If you take regular medications, ask Dr. Revis when it is safe to resume taking them.
• If you develop a temperature following surgery, increasing pain, redness around the incisions, or drainage from the incisions of any kind, call Dr. Revis immediately on his cell phone number that will be provided to you on the day of surgery.
• You will receive a phone call to confirm your follow-up appointment. If you do not receive a phone call from our staff on the day prior to your appointment, then we do not have you scheduled for an appointment. In this case, by all means please call us!
• Please remember that we are here for you to answer any and all questions, no matter how small! If you have a question, it is likely that we have the answer.