Recovery after breast reduction: week by week

The NHS and BAPRAS describe recovery in broadly similar terms but with different emphasis. For example, the NHS says to avoid strenuous activity for up to six weeks, while BAPRAS says upper-body sports can resume after about a month. That sort of gap is why your surgeon's own protocol is the one to follow.

Recovery is shaped by technique, how much tissue was removed, whether a nipple graft was used, and individual healing. The operation is described in the breast reduction guide, including the risks.

The NHS says pain is manageable with medication, and that dressings and drainage tubes are removed after one to two days. The NHS describes one to two nights as the typical stay, so ask your unit how long it expects you to be in.

BAPRAS says patients receive a surgeon or nurse appointment on discharge. Contact the hospital if a wound becomes red, swollen and painful, or if there is a discharge.

Swelling, bruising and a changing breast shape are expected during the early weeks. The final shape takes months to emerge, and a degree of difference between the two sides is possible.

The NHS says to wait until pressure from the seat belt causes no pain before driving, which it places at several weeks. GOV.UK says to ask your doctor if you are unsure how an operation will affect your driving, and to tell the DVLA if you are still unable to drive three months after an operation. Insurers may also expect you to be fit to control the car, including in an emergency.

Both the NHS and BAPRAS give two to three weeks before returning to work, depending on how strenuous it is. Arrange help with shopping, housework and the care of small children and pets for the first weeks.

• Wear the sports bra continuously at first, as your surgeon advises.

• Avoid lifting children, heavy bags and shopping in the first weeks.

• Ask about sleeping position and clothing for the early weeks.

BAPRAS describes most sports as possible after about two weeks, with aerobics, running, swimming and racquet sports taking about a month because of the upper-body movement.

It recommends a good quality sports bra and an elasticated crop top during exercise. The NHS says to avoid heavy lifting and strenuous activity for up to six weeks.

The NHS says scars form around the nipple and may take an anchor shape or a vertical line, and that most fade over time and are invisible under normal clothes, bras and bikini tops. Scars are red at first and mature over a long period, so judge the result in months, not weeks.

Altered nipple sensation and a reduced ability to breastfeed are recognised long-term effects listed by the NHS, and, as BAPRAS notes, nipples grafted to a higher position lose sensation permanently.

Contact the hospital the same day for severe pain, unusual swelling in one breast, skin colour changes at the nipple or breast, a wound that becomes red and discharges, or a temperature. Use NHS 111 out of hours, and call 999 for chest pain or sudden breathlessness, which can signal a blood clot in the lung.