One is more swollen than the other! Help!

[Tiger]

Hi, I am new to the forums, and I am freaking out a little......
I just had my BA on Tuesday (May 20th) so I'm only 4 days post op. I went from an A cup to a medium C (400cc in right breast, 425cc in the left - they are silicone under the muscle and I had a mastopexy as well). I am fairly lean at 5'8" and 137 pounds pre-op. I am super swollen, have that 'tent' thing going on between my breasts which looks totally bizarre, and I feel like my skin is stretched so much it's going to rip! The surgeon made my incisions around the aereola for the mastopexy, and the implants were inserted through that incision. My stitches are all around the aereola.

Aside from those things, what I am really worried about and I haven't seen any posts about it is that my right breast is so much more swollen than the left. Is is normal for one to be more swollen than the other? The wierd thing is that the right one is the one with the smaller implant! Could it be because I am a righty (and maybe my muscles on that side are tighter or something?) I just need some reassurance that this is normal and they'll even themselves out. I tried to call my PS yesterday, but they closed early and I don't think this is exactly a medical emergency since I feel fine otherwise (no fevers, dripping, etc.).

Any advice and reassurance would be GREATLY appreciated!!

Tiger

[Ellie]

Congrats on your ba! Yes it's totally normal to be more swollen. I stayed overnight at hospital that's the way my ps does things and the nurses noticed that my right was more swollen. My left was the smaller one to begin with and hurt a lot more. The nurse said that it's normal for one side to be more swollen and that swelling helps with the pain. She mentioned that when ppl have their wisdom teeth removed 1 side usually swells up a lot more and the side with the most swelling does not hurt nearly as much as the side without the swelling. It will even out as it goes down. I don't really remember when it evened out I think that after a couple of days the left became more swollen but the right was still bigger. The ladies on here always say think of it as 2 separate surgeries. You will heal at different rates. I hope I've helped to put your mind at ease focus all your energy on recovering

[Tiger]

Thanks so much for responding, that does make me feel MUCH better....

Have a great night....
-Tiger

[courtneyclv]

Don't worry girl...this is ALL normal! I was, and still am occasionally, in pain for a month. My muscles weren't stretching on my upper back to accomadate the pulling and stretching. Ouch! I was getting weekly deep tissue pec and back massages to help with this. Just hang in there..it will get better.

Also, because I am a cocktail waitress and lift a ton of weight, my righty is a bit more swollen. This is also normal. It all matters on if the muscle is holding in the implant, how much you use that arm, that muscle etc.

~BIG HUGS!~ and congrats!

[Tiger]

Thank you Courtney!
You look fantastic BTW!!!

-Tiger

[emcarlisle]

I'm 9 days out and I swear my right side is one whole size larger than the left! But I've read time and time again, that it's normal... (and I'm also right handed, which I think effects it - and I also think my ps put a few more ccs in the left!)

[onyxpearl007]

SAME HERE! My Left one was the smaller boob, yet its like a size bigger than the right boob (same ccs). That is the one that hurts, has the searing pain, the arm is the most stiff, etc etc. I think it is because I use my right arm more and that muscle is just friendlier- anyway, according to my friend who had hers done a month ago, her doc said its totally normal. The body processes the implants like two totally different surgeries. Each side is its own little person trying to cope with the foreign object in different ways. I hope this helps!

[Xiola]

If it got swollen like that very suddenly and it's hard and painful it may be worth getting it looked at in case it's a hematoma. Chances are it's totally normal but anything excessive is better looked at by the surgeon.

[blackviolet]

One of mine was higher, tighter, and more swollen.

This was at 10 days:



That's the last pic I took, haha. I really need to update.

As of today, I'm 6 weeks PO, and Righty is still a little behind the other, but not ridiculously or really even noticeably so. They're not high anymore, and not round on top. They're still not done, but they've developed a nice, natural slope.