Immediate post-surgery compression

Armecia

I want to know the range of Doctor instructions for the days/weeks following bilateral when no recon is planned- compression bands? Bras? No compression? If you were to be in compression, for how long?

They put me in a compression bra stuffed with surgical gauze. It rides up in the front and back, doesn't cover higher up on my chest (so I got some edema there), and hits on the incisions under my arm (longer incisions needed to sculpt side boobage). Since I don't want recon it seems to that they could have achieved more even compression with a band or ace bandages

Also, if you were in compression, how long did they have you in it? I'm taking a break from the bra this morning and it feel so so good

ravzari

I woke up with a compression band on; PS told me to wear it at all times, save for when in the shower, for a minimum of 4 weeks.

I eventually replaced it with a better compression vest from Underworks (they make post-surgical vests for men who have gynecomastia and have had their breasts removed, so it's designed to be worn 24/7) as the band one kept slipping while I slept and wasn't very comfortable anyway.

I ended up wearing mine for 4 weeks as instructed, and slept with it on for another 3-4 weeks after that or I'd wake up sore on the side I'd slept on.

mustlovepoodles

No compression for me. I woke up with a standard post-mastectomy bra with big ol' cups. Which would have been great if I had had reconstruction. As it was, it provided nothing. And to make matters worse, the front closure pressed painfully on my sternum. My PS agreed that the bra was useless and she allowed me to remove it at about a week post-op. It's probably best that I didn't have compression because I had about 1/2 of the skin die on the right side--big giant black dead tissue. Gack! Compression was out of the question during that recovery.

Erica3681

I didn't have compression after my bilateral mastectomy without reconstruction. I know some surgeons use it, but I imagine I would have found it very uncomfortable. I didn't want anything constricting me.

I had very little pain post-surgery, but I did develop nerve sensitivity after a couple of weeks, which lasted for another couple of weeks. During that time, I could hardly bear to have anything touch my skin other than a silk or satin camisole, so I'm guessing a compression garment would have been unbearable.

I did develop small seromas post-surgery, but they weren't painful and resolved on their own without aspiration or compression.

PoppyJQ

My doctor didnt use any compression garments or special bras after my BMX with no recon 2 months ago. I had steri strips over the incisions (leave on until they fall off) which stayed on for maybe a week if I recall. Over the steri strips were some padded bandages and I think they had me remove those bandages after the second day. That was it. I wore a soft cotton post mastectomy camisole.

Interestingly I had a lumpectomy the month before and was sent home in a compression bra.

Is the thinking that the compression garment helps with swelling or something else?

ravzari

The compression garments help with swelling and can help lower the risk of seromas and hematomas as the compression doesn't give them optimal areas to form.

I also found it to be comfortable in terms of relieving aches after surgery, and they helped keep me from stretching too much (the vest was a 'reminder' to be careful). Mine wasn't a bra so there was nothing pressing on or near the scar line, the pressure was even on my chest throughout the vest.

Wicked

Had BMX on 11/15. I had a compression vest on coming out of surgery. Wore that for one week, then switched to sports bras at night and a bandeau bra during the day. I like the feeling of compression. It makes my chest not feel so abnormally tight- I can chalk the tightness up to the bras. That being said, the tightness has gone away considerably. Numbness has diminished too.

Armecia

ravzari, I looked up those vests. Did you order by chest measurement? I'm a real pear shape and the vest is longline so I'm not sure.

ravzari

Armecia, I ordered the mens' gynecomastia (which is pretty much a mastectomy) post surgical vest, and ordered by chest size; my bra band size was 36, and their medium (I believe that's where 36 fell) fit like a glove. I was a bit surprised, as I have pretty wide 41" shoulders, but it fit them just fine as there was enough stretch to accommodate.

If you don't like the abdominal compression part of it, you just don't have to hook it up all the way down; when I slept in it, I'd just do up the first four or five hooks to get chest compression but not abdominal compression. During the day I'd sometimes hook it all the way down just for the slimming effect.

Edit to add, you can also hook it up all the way down and fold it up over on itself to get something about the length of a sports bra that provides extra compression; I did that a few times on days when things were extra achey, though I wouldn't leave it like that for more than 4-6 hours tops as it'll start to hurt your ribs with the extra tightness.