What Is Flash Recovery Breast Augmentation?
This article has undergone medical accuracy review by Rockville, MD board-certified plastic surgeon, Dr. Adam Tattelbaum on September 15, 2024.
Plastic surgeons often have a penchant for trademarking – a practice that has always seemed peculiar to me, especially when it involves naming and claiming medical treatments. Can one imagine brain surgeons patenting intricate craniotomy methods? It’s difficult to conceive, but let’s move on. In the realm of aesthetics, branded treatments are plentiful – usually crafted to make a procedure appear as groundbreaking and straightforward as possible.
Savvy (or simply cautious) patients are aware that incisions can never truly be "scar-free," and even procedures with appealing names come with their own set of repercussions. However, distinguishing between medical facts and marketing rhetoric can be tricky, particularly with procedures like breast augmentation – the most popular cosmetic surgery in America. This procedure is frequently marketed under terms such as "Flash Recovery," "rapid recovery," "fast-track recovery," or the most ambitious claim, "24-hour recovery."
Skepticism is warranted: after all, breast augmentation with silicone or saline implants is a general-anesthesia procedure involving incisions through skin, fat, and muscle, stretching and separating tissues to insert foreign objects. Yet, we are led to believe that this physical ordeal can be overcome quicker than, say, the common cold.
Interestingly, these rapid-recovery claims are prominently displayed on the websites of some of the most reputable breast surgeons globally – surgeons known for their stance against unethical marketing. This lends a degree of credibility to these claims, prompting further investigation. Here, we delve into everything you need to know about rapid recovery breast augmentation – from the scientific backing of this meticulously planned procedure to what you can expect in the hours post-surgery.
What is Flash Recovery Breast Augmentation?
These marketing terms are rooted in scientific research. Between 2002 and 2008, two board-certified Dallas plastic surgeons, Dr. John Tebbetts and Dr. William P. Adams Jr., published a series of papers outlining the steps surgeons should follow – before, during, and after surgery – to standardize and enhance breast augmentation for more predictable outcomes. (Dr. Tebbetts' two-part study laid the groundwork; Dr. Adams expanded and solidified the specifics.) "The 24-hour recovery is an outcome of this process," Dr. Adams explains, referring to the methods detailed in his 2008 paper, "The Process of Breast Augmentation: Four Sequential Steps for Optimizing Outcomes for Patients." Initially, however, the focus was not solely on reducing downtime – "it was about minimizing surgical complications and ensuring better results for patients," he clarifies.
In his study of 300 primary augmentation patients, 97% returned to full normal daily activities, including washing and drying hair, dressing, picking up children under three years old, and driving, within 24 hours of surgery. This process also significantly reduced reoperation rates.
Over the past decade, the protocols of the 24-hour recovery have become a gold standard for breast augmentation – one that most contemporary board-certified plastic surgeons have embraced and adapted based on their own experiences.
The principles of rapid recovery extend beyond the operating room, influencing every stage of care, and necessitate a strong partnership between patients and doctors. Here’s a summary.
Before Breast Augmentation Surgery
The 24-hour recovery concept starts at the consultation. "Patient education is paramount," Dr. Adams emphasizes, as "the more informed the patient, the better their outcome." In his practice, patients engage in extensive discussions with a dedicated patient educator to understand the procedure’s nuances, including risks, types of implants, and post-surgery expectations. They later meet with Dr. Adams, who systematically assesses and measures the breasts to "select an implant that fits their tissue structure."
In essence, objective breast measurements guide the selection of implants suitable for the patient’s anatomy. This "meticulous pre-operative assessment is crucial," notes Dr. Ashley Gordon, a board-certified plastic surgeon in Austin, Texas. Choosing implants based on pre-surgery measurements, rather than the traditional trial-and-error sizing under anesthesia, ensures everyone is on the same page, saves time in the operating room, and facilitates a quicker recovery by ensuring a proper fit.
"Using an implant too large for the patient’s tissues can prolong and intensify the recovery by causing excessive stretching of the muscle and skin," Dr. Gordon explains.
Beyond reducing downtime, "thorough preoperative planning and ensuring the patient is comfortable, fully informed, and has consented to the planned procedure are also vital in lowering reoperation rates," adds Dr. Umbareen Mahmood, a board-certified plastic surgeon in New York City.
During Breast Augmentation Surgery
Dr. Tebbetts' papers provide surgical guidelines regarding general anesthesia and intraoperative medications; the use of specific tools like electrocautery to minimize tissue damage; and techniques to control bleeding during dissection (which leads to inflammation and pain) and avoid touching sensitive structures, such as ribs, when placing implants. "By standardizing every detail, the procedure becomes more efficient, the surgery is shorter [approximately 30 to 60 minutes], and recovery time and complications are reduced," says Dr. Michelle Lee, a board-certified plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills, California.
In Dr. Lee’s view, the most critical aspects of the flash formula – essential for minimizing healing setbacks – are "meticulous surgical technique, gentle tissue handling, and placing an implant that is proportionate to the body and doesn’t stress the tissue," she explains.
While some core principles of the 24-hour recovery may seem intuitive to today’s breast surgeons, they are nonetheless indispensable for a successful operation. "It’s astonishing that someone had to publish an article instructing surgeons to be gentle with tissues and minimize bleeding," says Dr. Gordon (though "blunt dissection" – tearing through breast tissue with fingers – was common in the past). Dr. Gordon also highlights the importance of "bloodless dissection and avoiding rib contact with retractors, which can cause unnecessary pain," crucial for reducing immediate recovery issues and long-term complications like capsular contracture, which can be triggered by residual blood in the implant pocket.
Like many plastic surgeons, Dr. Gordon bases her breast augmentation approach on published protocols and tailors it based on the latest research and her expertise. "Key components of a rapid recovery breast augmentation include full muscle relaxation during dissection, dissection under direct vision, meticulous hemostasis, and implant placement using a no-touch technique with a Keller funnel," she says. "These minimize tissue trauma and inflammation, leading to less pain and swelling, and quicker implant settling." (The no-touch technique also helps prevent implant contamination and related issues.)
Excluding general anesthesia, there isn’t a universally agreed-upon medication strategy during surgery, but Dr. Gordon has found that administering IV ketamine and injecting the breast pocket with a long-lasting local anesthetic before placing implants can "reduce the need for narcotics in the recovery room and post-operative period" – another major objective of Flash Recovery Breast Augmentation.
Related: The Best Bras to Wear After Your Breast Augmentation, According to Ruli Members
After Breast Augmentation Surgery
Aside from addiction risks, "narcotics are not ideal pain medications – they merely mask the pain," says Dr. Adams. "They cause nausea and drowsiness, which counter our goal [with the 24-hour recovery]."
To reduce patients’ reliance on narcotics, "many surgeons prescribe a combination of Celebrex, gabapentin, and Tylenol," Dr. Mahmood says. (A muscle relaxant might also be included.) "A rapid recovery also involves using dissolvable sutures and avoiding unnecessary drains, bandages, or surgical straps. Patients are encouraged to shower the next day and resume daily activities, including range-of-motion exercises with their arms and shoulders." They can typically drive the day after surgery, provided they haven’t taken narcotics or muscle relaxants.
The only significant post-operative restriction, notes Dr. Mahmood, is related to exercise: no vigorous physical activity or heavy lifting for three to four weeks. Dr. Gordon advises patients to avoid lifting anything over 10 pounds for at least a couple of weeks to prevent bleeding in the pocket and encourage pectoral muscle relaxation as quickly as possible, she explains. (Doctors have varying opinions on when it’s safe to resume strenuous activities.)
Some surgeons provide more specific instructions for patients at home. "My patients have about eight hours to enter the fast-track recovery," Dr. Adams explains. "They go home, nap, take a hot shower. We give them gentle arm raises to keep soft tissues moving and prevent pectoralis muscles from stiffening and aching." Many patients even go shopping or out to dinner on the same day, he adds – but "they can’t just go home and lie in bed for a couple of days."
That said, breast augmentation recovery varies among individuals. "Some patients have a more challenging time, and we can’t always pinpoint the reason," says Dr. Gordon. Patients with well-developed pectoralis major muscles might experience more muscle spasms and discomfort, she notes. Those with tuberous breasts or tight breast envelopes, whose tissues require more stretching and manipulation during surgery, might have a slightly longer recovery.
It’s also worth noting that "patients perceive pain differently, even when other factors are the same," she adds, and some women do rely on narcotics in the days following surgery.
Is Rapid Recovery Breast Augmentation More Than Marketing?
Indeed, yes. While these descriptions are undoubtedly used to attract patients, there is substantial evidence supporting a shortened recovery when doctors (and patients) adhere to strict protocols for upfront counseling, best practices in the operating room, and post-operative instructions.
Of course, even established guidelines are open to interpretation, and "it can be challenging to assess what 'rapid recovery' means from one surgeon to another," notes Dr. Lee.
There’s also the risk of patients misinterpreting the terminology or taking catchy claims too literally.
"I refer to our version as the 'rapid recovery protocol,' because I don’t believe every woman will feel normal in 24 hours, and I don’t want to set that expectation. I still advise them to take a few days off work, just in case," says Dr. Gordon, who finds that, excluding exercise and heavy lifting, patients typically recover in about three days.
"What’s crucial to remember," adds Dr. Lee, "is that even if you feel great at 24 hours, it doesn’t mean you’re fully healed and ready to hit the gym the next day." Regardless of the label given to a breast augmentation procedure, complete "recovery after breast augmentation still takes three to four weeks. Resuming full activity too soon can actually slow down the recovery process."
When consulting with doctors, inquire about the aspects of their breast augmentation surgery that facilitate a swift recovery. Ask about the medications used during surgery and prescribed afterward. Seek a realistic return-to-normal timeline and ensure you understand your role in your recovery. Above all, prioritize your surgeon’s reputation over the name of the surgery.
Ultimately, "the goal of most board-certified plastic surgeons is for their patients to have the easiest, fastest, and safest recovery," says Dr. Gordon – whether they advertise this or not.
