• Your surgeon may require you to wear a surgical bra following breast implant surgery, fat transfer or breast reshaping. You should wear the bra until your surgeon advises otherwise with the usual time required ranging from 2-6 weeks following the surgery.
• The amount of time will vary from patient to patient and depends on a number of factors, including your healing progress, the nature and scope of the procedure performed, and your physical characteristics.
• You will need to alternate between your surgery bra, and another surgical bra or support bra in order to wash the bra regularly.
• One surgical bra from Macom Medical is included in the price of most Harley Breast procedures.
• Additional garments may be purchased from Macom directly.

• Breast augmentation and reshaping using either implants or fat transfer, and breast reduction, is usually as a day case, enabling you to return home on the same day.
• You will usually stay in the hospital for at least 2-3 hours following surgery in order to monitor you and complete necessary post-op checks before you are discharged by your surgeon.

• In some cases, your surgeon will require you to stay overnight at the private hospital.  If this is the case you will be told beforehand with plenty of time in advance.
• Patients that are staying overnight at the hospital have all meals provided for them.
• All recovery rooms have a comfortable bed, television and internet access.
• You will be allowed a visitor in some cases but not overnight.
• Patients that stay at the hospital overnight are usually discharged between 8 am and 10 am the next morning.

• If you are unsure of anything, please check with your surgeon or the clinical team.
• Generally, it is better to keep the wound from being fully submerged in water (for example in a bath), for 6 weeks from the surgery date.
• You will generally be able to shower from 1 week after the surgery, ensuring that you do not get the wound wet for too long, and you take care of it in the shower.
• This means, for example, not having a long hot shower during the first 6 weeks, and not washing the area of the wound in a way that disturbs the healing skin.
• Pat yourself dry after your shower, avoiding the wound and certainly do not rubbing the wound dry by passing the towel over it.

• Ideally, you will sleep on your back in a slightly elevated position after surgery, particularly in the first week.
• As you may be recommended to sleep on your back for up to 6 weeks, you are advised to practice sleeping in this position in the days before your surgery, particularly if you are used to sleeping on your side or stomach.
• Sleeping on your back will help to reduce swelling and discomfort, and also reduce the risk of the implant moving before you are fully healed.

Numb of tingling nipples are normal and should stop by 2-4 weeks from the date of the surgery.

• You will have reduced reaction time straight after surgery, and are unable to drive home on your own.
• Also, you don’t want to risk any aggressive movements such as stretching that may be required in operating the motor vehicle during the first month after surgery.
• If you are on any pain medication your driving ability and reaction time may be lowered.
• You should seek the permission of your surgeon before you return to driving.
• There may even be implications for your car insurance if you do not follow the advice of the surgeon and end up in a minor accident.

• You will need a new bra after surgery, particularly after breast augmentation by implants or reduction surgery, as your bra size will have changed.
• You are likely to be wearing a surgical bra following the procedure (if your surgeon instructs you too). It is better to wait until the surgeon gives you the go-ahead to stop wearing a surgical bra before buying new bras. This will likely be around 1 month following surgery.
• This also gives the breast time to heal and allows for swelling to subside and implants to settle into their final position.

• Obviously, the longer the better to give yourself time to heal at home in a relaxed environment.
• We recognise that taking time off work is expensive, and takes away precious annual leave you would rather spend on holidays.
• The minimum required time away from is 7 days in order to rest and recover from the operation.
• Your surgeon will ask you about the nature of your work during your consultation.
• If you have an active job (for example you are a personal trainer or dancer), rather than working in an office, then you may need to take additional time off.
• You should certainly not stretch or lift heavy objects for at least 2 weeks following surgery, and take it easier than normal for the first month.

• If you have general questions or are needing follow-ups scheduled or other non-urgent assistance, you should contact the clinic directly (rather than your surgeon).
• Your surgeon will provide you with their contact telephone number in case there is an urgent need to contact them.
• You must contact your surgeon if you are seriously concerned about the healing, feel something is definitely wrong, or you are in excessive pain.
• The clinic is contactable 24/7 in the case of an urgent matter on 020 3633 5055.

• You call the clinic on 020 3633 5055 and let you know what dates are available at the private hospital.
• We then take a deposit to secure you a place in the hospital.
• The deposit becomes non-refundable 2 weeks before your operation date.
• It is sometimes recommended to see your surgeon for a second consultation.

• Before the operation, you are not supposed to take aspirin.
• It is recommended to stop taking the contraceptive pill 1 month before surgery.
• You will have to stop eating, drinking and smoking 6 hours before the operation.
• You will see your surgeon before going to the theatre and have time to ask them anything you may have forgotten to ask.
• Your surgeon will ask you to sign a consent form, where all the possible risks are mentioned. He will then do some markings on your skin and take some before photographs (they will stay in your file and are totally confidential)
• You will meet your anaesthetist and you are free to ask them any questions you may have before being shown into the surgical theatre.
• Your operation takes less than one hour.

• After the operation, you will spend half an hour in recovery, before being taken back to your room.
• You may be discharged a few hours later and asked to come back to the clinic the next morning for a check-up, or sometimes you will stay overnight.
• Your surgeon will explain your individual care plan closer to the date of the procedure.

• Back home you are supposed to take it easy; which means obviously no sport or heavy lifting for six weeks.
• Ideally, you should sleep on your back in a slightly inclined position.
• You cannot shower your breasts for one week.
• You cannot drive for one week.
• You might be in pain and will need to take some painkillers.
• You will be told to take some antibiotics for one week.
• Your dressing needs to stay clean and dry.
• If necessary, it can be changed by a nurse every other day, before you see your surgeon again.

• You are supposed to come back to the clinic after one week for the first wound check (but you can contact the office anytime in between), and then you will see your surgeon in the second week.
• After this first post-operative check, you will see your surgeon after one month, three months and six months unless there is any need to see the doctor more frequently.
• Your stitches will be trimmed after two weeks.
• The initial swelling will disappear within 3 weeks, which is the time you need before starting to see what your final shape will look like.