After Gynecomastia Surgery

Activity - Immediately following gynecomastia surgery you will want to rest. Once you feel up to it get something light to eat and take medications as instructed. At some point during the day or evening you will want to get up and walk around for 15 minutes every hour to promote proper blood circulation. Avoid lifting anything heavier than 5 pounds, lifting children or having sex for 2 weeks.

Hydration - Keep Gatorade available. Make sure you drink a lot of fluids during your recovery period.

Sleep - After gynecomastia surgery, it is important to rest and sleep at a 45 degree angle on your back for at least the first 3 days. Continue to do so until you feel comfortable sleeping the way you normally do. This will vary from patient to patient. Important - Anesthesia may make it very difficult to get to sleep the night after surgery. In order to maintain your normal sleep schedule, we recommend taking a Xanax 1 hour before you plan to sleep. This will help tremendously. Do not take the Xanax at the same time as your pain medication. Take them at least 1 hour apart.

Garment/bandage - For the first 24 hours after gynecomastia surgery you will have bandages and a binder wrapped around your chest. Adjust garment/bandage every 2 hours or as needed. This may mean undoing and repositioning the elastic bandage. You should have gentle compression. If you cannot put your finger in between the garment and your body, it means it is too tight. If the garment is too tight it will prevent proper blood flow. When you reposition your elastic bandage, make sure to have an ABD pad on the chest as a buffer in between the bandage and your chest after gynecomastia surgery skin. It will prevent the bandage from cutting into your skin. You may also need these pads to absorb any oozing from the incisions. the bandages will be removed at your first post-operative visit. He will advise whether or not to continue using gauze or pads on the incisions.

Post-operative garment/shirt - At day 2 or 3 the incisions should no longer ooze. At this time you may switch to placing your garment/shirt on first and then the ace bandage on top of it for additional compression. No ABD pads should be necessary at this point.

Shower - If possible, don't shower for the first 24 hrs. following your gynecomastia surgery. Your chest will be bandaged and you don't want to get them wet. If you must bathe, take a sponge bath and avoid getting water on the bandages. After your first visit, we will remove some of the bandages and check your chest. Once you arrive back home it is fine to shower. Be careful as it is not uncommon to be dizzy. Simply remove the garment and take a cool shower. Allow the water to drizzle down over your breasts. It is OK for the surgical tape on the incisions to get wet. Afterwards, pat dry and put your garment/bandage back on. No baths for the first 2 weeks or as long as the incisions are still open.

Ice - You may apply ice packs or gel packs to the breast area for first 2 days. Do not apply directly to skin. The area will be numb following gynecomastia surgery, so you may not feel the cold from the ice, which could result in burning the skin.

Incision care - The sutures mostly will dissolve on their own. You will have surgical tape over the incisions to promote optimal healing. We will change the surgical tape on the incisions at about 10-14 days. When we change your tape for the first time, you will then begin doing this yourself every 5-7 days for 12 weeks.

Driving - Do not drive for the first three days, while on pain medications, or if you feel impaired in any way.

Blood thinners - Do not use aspirin-containing products for at least one week. You may take Tylenol or pain medication as prescribed.

Exercise- You can exercise areas other than your chest at two weeks following gynecomastia surgery. Begin with non-impact cardio and light weights. It's important to progress very slowly. If you feel any discomfort in your breasts. your body is telling you you're doing too much. Swelling will delay your recovery and may cause other problems. Listen to your body. Typically, it takes eight weeks to begin working out your chest and to return to impact/cardio activities ( running, etc). You should also avoid carrying a backpack or messenger bag over your shoulders for the first 2 weeks after surgery. You want to avoid tension or strain on your chest, so your incisions heal properly.

Work - Typically, you can go back to sedentary jobs within 3 days following gynecomastia surgery. Physical jobs could take anywhere from 1-2 weeks.
Sun exposure - Avoid direct sun exposure on the incisions for at least 6 weeks. After 6 weeks, apply sunscreen (at least SPF 15) to the incision area. If possible, it's best to avoid sun completely for up to 3 months.

Medications - Be sure to take all medications as directed. If you develop a reaction to any of the medications, please stop take it and call our office so we can prescribe an alternative

Bruising - If bruising occurs, you can apply Arnica Montana cream to help it fade more quickly. Avoid applying the cream directly on the incisions. Bruising usually clears up within 2-3 weeks.