Many plastic surgery practices in New York report that breast augmentation is one of the most widely requested cosmetic surgical procedures. However, many women who opt to have breast implants are concerned about what will happen post-op. One major worry is about when the swelling will subside and when they can see the final results. The answer is that while women recover differently, it would generally take 2 to 3 months for the swelling to resolve and for the final outcome to be evident.
After breast implant surgery, there would be plenty of soft tissue swelling as well as fluid at the site during the first week. This is quite normal and your surgeon will tell you that there is nothing to worry about. The swelling will begin to subside slightly in about 2 weeks after the surgery, provided you follow post-operative guidelines properly. You can expect to see a significant improvement in the swelling over the next 4-6 weeks. By the end of the third month, you would probably have a good idea of your final bra size. So you need to give your body enough time to heal and for the breast pocket and tissue to stretch and accommodate your implant, and for your implants to settle. That is why surgeons tell patients to wait at least 3-6 months to begin evaluating their augmentation results.
During the recovery period, the implants would begin to drop, the tissues expand, and the breasts become rounder. This makes it pretty clear that it is difficult to distinguish between the contributions of post-operative swelling to the breast size versus what the implants would actually offer.
Talk to your surgeon regarding your concerns regarding post-operative swelling and other expectations at the consultation. A good surgeon would be ready to answer your queries and put you at ease.