Swelling is a natural defense mechanism of the body in response to irritation and trauma, which any major surgery, including breast augmentation surgery, is. The swelling will be in your chest area, but will eventually migrate down to your abdomen and groin area before finally resolving itself completely. Swelling can be generally uncomfortable and add to the pain of the surgery itself. Fortunately, there are many things you can do to ease the discomfort of swelling and speed up its resolution.

The most commonly prescribed remedy for breast augmentation swelling is cold treatment. For a cold pack treatment use bagged, frozen fruit or vegetables such as peas or berries rather than ice or ice packs. Ice packs and gel packs tend to freeze in rigid rectangular shapes, so they just sit on top of your breast rather than conform to the shape of it. Place the bag of frozen food into a plastic bag to prevent food juices from running on you when the food melts. If you have an ice cube maker, you can use the individual cubes too. Just beware that for the first couple days you will be unable to break up ice cubes that have frozen together in order to use them.

Your surgeon may also recommend that you sleep in a recliner the first couple days after your surgery. Sleeping in this somewhat elevated position will help the fluids causing the swelling to migrate to your abdomen and groin, relieving some of the pain and pressure in your chest area.

As well, you may be sent home with a supportive surgical bra following your breast augmentation procedure. The bra helps reduce swelling by placing gentle pressure on the breasts and causing the fluids to move out of the area. As well, a supportive surgical bra generally helps to reduce the pain and speed recovery following the procedure.

Diuretics are generally not recommended to reduce swelling after surgery because they may interfere with antibiotics. You should consult your surgeon before taking any herbal or synthetic diuretics including coffee and juice. It is, ok, however to drink lots of water, which helps the body reabsorb the excess fluids and evacuate those that can’t be reabsorbed.

Swelling following breast augmentation surgery should be significantly reduced, by up to 75%, in the first couple days after surgery no matter what you do. It will take a few weeks for the remaining swelling to resolve itself completely, even if you do nothing to speed the process. The swelling will go down as the body heals and realizes that it no longer needs the excess fluids to protect itself.

Before and Afters of Breast Augmentation: Pre-op and Post-op Tips the Doctor Probably Won’t Tell You

Breast Reconstruction Complications

Shopping List for Optimal Breast Augmentation Recovery

All About Breast Reduction Surgery

Considering Breast Augmentation Surgery? Consider This Before Making a Decision