Yes, this is normal. It's also normal that the smaller breast (with the larger implant) has a harder time softening up. Absolutely fine. Continue massage and be patient. :)

Published on Jul 11, 2012

You can relax. This is very normal. It takes a few weeks at a minimum for initial "settling" and often one side may settle sooner.

Published on Jul 11, 2012

Breast implants take about 6-8 months to settle completely. It is not unusual for one side to drop and soften faster than the other side. I would recommend continuing your surgeon's post-surgical instructions and give it some more time.

Published on Jul 11, 2012

Breast implants frequently drop and soften at different rates. The breasts act like sisters, not necessarily identical twins, and even then there are differences in characteristics.

Published on Jul 11, 2012

Two weeks is way too early to make a determination, especially for larger implant sizes like yours. The "drop and fluff" process can take a few months or even longer in some cases. It is uncommon for both breasts to behave exactly the same after implant augmentation. For example, the pectoralis muscle has more tone on your dominant hand side. Your plastic surgeon will be able to guide your recovery.

Published on Jul 11, 2012

Resolution takes 8-52 weeks, depending on how long you did or didn't nurse. Massage won't help, just move the breasts around, especially upward.

Published on Jul 11, 2012

I think it is important that you directly ask your doctor about this and remember it is still early in the would healing process. Things will change over time. You can expect a change as the breasts settle down and heal.

Published on Jul 11, 2012

Its not that uncommon for one breast to heal differently than the other initially. One may drop faster. One may be softer or harder than the other, etc. The fact that you have some differences doesn't necessarily mean something is wrong. Realize that your left implant is larger, so its not surprising that you feel some difference. However, without examining you or at least seeing photos, I cannot give you an answer that is more specific for your case. I would suggest discussing it with your surgeon. Usually you need to wait 3 to 6 months to really assess whether something will need to be revised. Best of luck.

Paul Wigoda, MD
painlessbreastimplants.com

Published on Jul 11, 2012

Thank you for inquiring about your breasts. If you are two weeks out from surgery, you are still in the very early stages and still have swelling. Implants take months, not days to completely "drop." Also, sometimes one side may drop faster than the other due to differences in swelling, conditions at surgery, or other reasons. Discuss these issues with your surgeon. It is still way too early to make any conclusions regarding how your breast will ultimately look. I usually tell patients it will take 6 months to see the final result.

Published on Jul 11, 2012

This can sometimes be the case, especially if you are right-handed. You are only two weeks out from surgery. If you have any concerns, you should closely follow up with your plastic surgeon.

Published on Jul 11, 2012

I am sorry you are not feeling quite right about how you look or feel at this point. However, I cannot help you without at least having photographs. There could be many reasons why your breast with the larger implant is still higher and harder. I can tell you one thing with absolute, unconditional certainty though: implant massage has never been shown to be effective in the treatment or prevention of capsular contracture, nor has it been shown to be necessary for the normal healing process after breast augmentation.

You shouldn't worry at this point as it is very early and sometimes each breast is on a different time schedule. You should follow up with your doctor non-urgently.

Best of luck!

Published on Jul 11, 2012

Time and patient massage over several months will help.

Published on Jul 11, 2012

Breast implants take about 3 to 6 weeks to drop. Recovery relates to pocket choice and implant size. One side may not drop as quickly as the other and that may relate to "handedness," in that if you use your right hand more than the left, the right may take time to settle. Implant exercises can help break the muscle spasm, if the implant is placed under the muscle.

Published on Jul 11, 2012

Thank you for sharing. This should be examined by your PS. There are too many variables that are not possible to assess in this forum. However, this may be quite expected for your situation and it often takes one side longer to settle and drop than the other side. Two weeks post-op from implants of the mentioned sizes is fairly early in the course. Hope this helps.

Published on Jul 11, 2012

It is hard to give you accurate advice without actually seeing you. I will have to answer your question in general terms because of this. Personally, I don't realy get worried about differences in fullness or feel that early after surgery. At two weeks, the swelling is starting to get better and will continue to slowly get better. Resolution of the swelling takes time. I think that "most" of it will be gone by 6 to 8 weeks after surgery and all of it is gone by 6 months. There are several things that could be going on. You do have a larger implant on one side. I assume that this is the side with less movement and looks higher. Remember that this implant is taller and wider than the other implant, so it may always look a little different. Asymmetric swelling could also be the issue with one side being more swollen for a multitued of reasons. If it is just swelling, it will improve. The other possibility is that you might have a small hematoma on that side that is creating more tightness and fullness. This is something that your surgeon should be able to recognize. If it is a small hematoma, surgical intervention may not be needed. A large hematoma should be evacuated in surgery. It is too early in my opinion for you to have "capsular contracture," which is usually what causes hard, less mobile implants. At this point there is nothing to really do unless you do have a large hematoma except to keep massaging and wait it out. I suspect you will see improvement over the next 4-6 weeks.

Published on Jul 11, 2012

The two-week post-op mark is still very early. The stretch of the muscle and skin is often a gradual process that can take four months sometimes. I'll reassure you that your final result is a ways off yet. Continue your massage and be patient. Best wishes.

Published on Jul 11, 2012

Thank you for your question. You are very early in the recovery process and it is quite common for one side to settle faster than the other. Keep doing your exercises and keep your follow-up appointments with your surgeon. Best wishes for a result you will be pleased with.

Published on Jul 11, 2012

It can take weeks and weeks to see the changes start from massaging. Just don't give up. You're still considered very early.

Published on Jul 11, 2012

Still too early. However. my guess is that your left was the smaller breast and that is why it required a larger implant. Putting a larger implant into a smaller breast will make it feel tighter and harder than putting a smaller implant into a larger breast. Consider a port analogy of putting a baseball into your blue jean pocket versus a golf ball into your cargo pants pocket. Do your exercises and follow your surgeon's advice. It may take 6-8 months to see your final results.

Published on Jul 11, 2012

Two weeks is still very early. The breasts should soften and begin to drop around 6-8 weeks post-op. Any serious concerns should be addressed with your surgeon.

Published on Jul 11, 2012