Most patients are comfortable in a supportive garment within a week of a breast lift, back at desk work in two weeks, and cleared for full exercise at six. The shape settles over about three months and the scars keep fading for a year.
Below is what actually happens week by week, and what Dr Kumar’s nurses will be doing alongside you. Where your recovery will differ from this, he will tell you before surgery rather than leave you to find out.
The first 48 hours
Whether your operation is planned as a day case or an overnight stay depends on the extent of the lift and where it is done — Dr Kumar operates at Westmead Private Hospital, and at Somerset Private in Penrith for day cases. Either way you wake in a surgical bra with dressings underneath, and the usual description is tightness rather than sharp pain. You will be up and walking the same day.
Dr Kumar uses Prineo and Micropore on the wounds, and both stay on for six weeks. A pressure garment goes on and is worn for six weeks as well.
Week by week
| When | What to expect | What you can do |
|---|---|---|
| Days 1–3 | Tightness, swelling, some bruising; breasts sit high and look too firm | Walk around the house, shower as directed |
| Days 4–7 | Swelling peaks then starts to settle | Light activity, nothing above shoulder height |
| Week 1 | First review with the nursing team | Most patients stop regular pain relief |
| Week 2 | Comfortable in the garment day and night | Desk work; driving once off strong pain relief and able to brake hard |
| Weeks 3–5 | Upper fullness begins to soften and drop | Walking, gradually increasing |
| Week 6 | Second review; dressings and garment come off | Physical work, gym, running, swimming |
| Week 12 | Third review; shape close to final, scars at their reddest | Normal activity |
| 6 months | Scars fading, breasts settled into position | — |
| 12 months | Final review; scars pale and flat in most patients | — |
Dr Kumar reviews his surgical patients for twelve months after surgery. The nurses who prepare you for theatre are the same ones you see at every review afterwards.
“Drop and fluff”
At two weeks a lifted breast usually looks too high, too round and too tight across the top. That is expected. Over the following weeks the tissue relaxes and settles into the lower pole, and the shape you judge at three months is not the shape you see at two weeks. Patients who are told this in advance are rarely troubled by it; patients who are not often are.
Driving, work and exercise
Driving: not on strong pain relief, and not until you can brake hard without hesitating — around two weeks for most patients. Check your insurer’s wording.
Work: desk work at two weeks. Lifting, reaching overhead or physical exertion at six. If your job sits between the two, raise it at consultation and Dr Kumar will give you a figure to plan around.
Exercise: walking from the first few days. Nothing that bounces, lifts or stretches the chest until six weeks. Going back early is the commonest reason a scar widens.
Sleeping: on your back, slightly propped, for the first two weeks.
What is normal, and what is not
Normal: swelling that shifts through the day, bruising tracking downwards, shooting or burning sensations as nerves recover, and asymmetry in the early weeks as each side settles at its own pace.
Worth a call: fever, redness spreading from the wound, sudden swelling on one side, or a wound that opens. Dr Kumar’s nurses would rather see you early than late — 1300 267 726.
Common questions
Will I lose nipple sensation? Some change is usual early and improves for most patients over months. Permanent change is a recognised risk, discussed at consultation.
When can I wear an underwire? Usually after six weeks, once the garment is off and the fold has settled.
When do the scars look their best? They look their worst at about three months and their best at twelve. Breast lift scars.
Will the lift last? Gravity, weight change and pregnancy all keep acting on the breast afterwards. A lift resets the position; it does not stop time.
Can I fly? Short domestic flights are usually fine after about two weeks. Tell the team your plans before surgery, particularly if you are travelling from Orange or further.
Next step
If you are planning around work or family, Dr Kumar’s nurses can talk you through the timeline for your situation before you book. Call 1300 267 726 or request a call. More about breast lift surgery and whether a lift or a reduction applies to you.
The initial consultation with Dr Kumar is $400, with a Medicare rebate of approximately $88 where you have a GP referral. Surgical fees are quoted individually after your consultation, in a written itemised quote.
All surgery carries risks, and individual results will vary. Read more about the risks of surgery here. A GP referral is required to see Dr Kumar.
Dr Rohit Kumar (MED0001630444) Registered medical practitioner, specialist plastic surgeon (specialist registration in surgery – plastic surgery).
