How much bruising, swelling, and pain is there?
After surgery, it is expected that the breasts will have a moderate amount of swelling. Most of the swelling will resolve over 2 to 4 weeks. The breasts will appear slightly larger than they will ultimately be because of this swelling. Both breasts may have some bruising although it is generally mild and resolves over 1 to 2 weeks. The amount of pain post-operatively is very patient dependent. Some patients will experience mild discomfort, particularly with raising the arms and with increased activity. It is unusual to have significant pain. The vast majority of patients report the pain as tolerable. Some patients have reported difficulty getting comfortable when going to sleep for the first 1 to 2 weeks. Patients may also experience hypersensitivity of their nipples. For the most part, all of the pain and discomfort resolves completely with time, generally 2 to 4 weeks.
