Day after surgery
POSSIBLE COMPLAINTS
- Tension and pain in the chest
- Diminished strength and mobility of the arms
RECOMMENDATIONS
1. Muscle stretching exercises as soon as you are sufficiently awake:
Gently pull back your shoulders five times per hour.
Gently raise your arms above your head five times per hour
2. Painkillers
Paracetamol – Codeine tablets: 1 to 2 every 4 hours, maximum 6 tablets daily.
Severe pain: one Voltaren 100mg suppository in the morning and evening
3. Support bandage: It is advisable to wear a slightly tight elastic bandage for 24 hours after surgery.
Day 2
- Remove the elastic bandage and the compresses
- Keep the sterile plasters over the scars for 10 days
- You are allowed to take showers and use bath gel
- Painkillers
- More muscle stretching exercises every hour, under a hot shower if necessary
- A sports bra should be worn continuously for two weeks
Day 3
- Gradual transition to paracetamol without codeine, stop using Voltaren
- Stretching exercises of the pectoralis muscle
- Daily hot shower
- Gradually resume all activities that are not painful
- Avoid forceful movements of the pectoralis muscle
Day 4 and following
- Gradually stop all painkillers
- Stop stretching exercises
- Daily hot shower to relax the muscle for as long as is necessary
Day 10
- Remove plasters around the scar
- Remove the continuous suture by gently pulling the end
- Gently massage your skin and body with moisturizing cream
Resumption of sport: after 3 to 6 weeks
Solarium: After six weeks, unless the scar is still red. In that case, the scar should be protected with a sunscreen with high protection factor.
