After your surgery
You are likely to feel tired and sore for a week or two after reconstruction. Most of your discomfort can be controlled by medication prescribed by your doctor.

Depending on the extent of your surgery, you'll probably be released from the hospital in two to five days. Many reconstruction options require a surgical drain to remove excess fluids from surgical sites immediately following the operation, but these are removed within the first week or two after breast cancer surgery. Most stitches are removed in a week to 10 days.

Scars at the breast, nipple, and abdomen
will fade substantially with time, but
may never disappear entirely.

Post Surgical Care

The results of your breast reconstruction can be maintained with the use of certain clinical skin care products. Dr. Speron recommends neaclear Liquid Oxygen Firming Body Lotion and neaclear^plus Liquid Oxygen Rejuvenating Body Scrub to help smooth the skin and keep it youthful. To reduce the appearance of post surgical scars, he also recommends neaclear^plus Liquid Oxygen Scar Advantage.

neaclear Liquid Oxygen Firming Body Lotion:

•  Firms the skin to leave a soft, youthful appearance

•  Rejuvenates dry, weak skin

•  Delivers oxygen and nutrients to scar tissue to accelerate healing process

neaclear^plus Liquid Oxygen Rejuvenating Body Scrub:

•  Gentle scrubs away dead skin cells and other impurities to refresh the skin

•  Optimizes the skin's ability to retain moisture

•  Revitalizes the skin, especially around scar tissue, to regenerate healthy cells

neaclear^plus Liquid Oxygen Scar Advantage:

•  Applies gentle pressure to the site of the scar to encourage flatness

•  Provides oxygen to the scar to accelerate healing

•  Leaves the skin softer and smoother

Getting back to normal
It may take you up to six weeks to recover from a combined breast cancer surgery and reconstruction or from a flap reconstruction alone. If implants are used without flaps and reconstruction is done apart from the mastectomy, your recovery time may be less.

Reconstruction cannot restore normal sensation to your breast, but in time, some feeling may return. Most scars will fade substantially over time, though it may take as long as one to two years, but they'll never disappear entirely. The better the quality of your overall reconstruction, the less distracting you'll find those scars.

Follow your surgeon's advice on when to begin stretching exercises and normal activities. As a general rule, you'll want to refrain from any overhead lifting, strenuous sports, and sexual activity for three to six weeks following reconstruction.
 

Your new look
Chances are your reconstructed breast may feel firmer and look rounder or flatter than your natural breast. It may not have the same contour as your breast before breast cancer surgery, nor will it exactly match your opposite breast. But these differences will be apparent only to you. For most mastectomy patients, breast reconstruction dramatically improves their appearance and quality of life following surgery.

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