Cosmetic Plastic Surgery Recovery FAQs
How many nights should I spend in the hospital?
Your stay in hospital depends on how quickly you can recover which varies from patient to patient.
- Breast Augmentation patients, generally stay overnight stay in hospital
- Whereas, for Breast Reduction patients we advise a 1 to 2-night stay
- Abdominoplasty patients usually stay for 2 to 3 nights
At the time of your consultation, your surgeon will discuss the length of your hospital stay and explain why a longer stay may be required for certain procedures or patients.
How much time will I need to be off work after surgery?
Each patient is different so your time off work will vary due to your speed of recovery, your level of bruising and pain and also on the type of work that you do.
- Breast augmentation patients we recommend 1-2 weeks off work
- Breast reduction, we suggest 1-2 weeks off work
- Abdominoplasty or major body surgery around 3-4 weeks off work. However this will be longer if your stomach muscles have split due to pregnancy or obesity.
- For nose and facial surgeries, depending on your swelling and bruising, your “social downtime” can be around 2-3 weeks
Your time off work really depends on the activity level in the type of work you do – for breast surgeries this can be 2 weeks for an office/desk job, 3 weeks for an ‘on your feet’ shop job or 4+ weeks for an active job.
It is often up to you to decide when you are ready to return to work.
Some General Guidelines for Estimating your Time off work
- We advise that you do NOT drive or operate heavy equipment for a minimum of one week after having surgery with a general anaesthetic; ask your Surgeon for specifics in relation to your procedure.
- There is always a risk of having a surgical complication and your return to work being delayed.
- We can provide a confidential Medical Certificate for time off work.
When can I start exercising after my procedure?
This varies from patient to patient and surgery to surgery. Don’t try to do too much too soon.
We encourage leisurely walking and light duties following your procedure. At the time of your consultation, we will discuss the type of exercise that you would like to do and how soon you can return to the activity.
For fitness enthusiasts, this may mean 10-12 weeks before heavy gym exercise like weights, bouncing or running, sometimes longer.
More information and Blogs on recovery tips for different Plastic Surgery Procedures:
- Common Feelings and Emotions After Surgery
- Can I speed up my recovery after cosmetic surgery? Plastic Surgery Tips and Recovery Guidelines.
- Recovery after Breast Reduction Surgery (‘What’s normal recovery?’)
- Recovery after Breast Augmentation Surgery with Breast Implants
- Recovery after Abdominoplasty Surgery
- Recovery after Eyelid Surgery (Blepharoplasty Recovery)
Surgery Guidelines for Cosmetic Surgery recovery include helpful tips compiled from the experiences of our care team, which supports leading Australia FRACS (Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons) Cosmetic, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons (shown below).
Unanswered Questions or want to know how to search for Plastic Surgeon or Cosmetic Surgeon Reviews (Melbourne, Australia, VIC)?
- Check out a bigger list of FAQs and information on the surgical process
- You can also talk to a Patient Care Team to answer your questions from 9 am-5 pm Monday – Friday on 03 8849 1400
