In this video, Dr. Fernando Amato, Plastic Surgeon at Instituto Amato, will talk about: The Use of Bra, Girdle, or Compression Garment in the Post-Operative Period. A useful topic for anyone undergoing plastic surgery.

Hello! I am Dr.

Fernando Amato, plastic surgeon here at
Instituto Amato, and today I will talk a little

about a common question among patients who undergo
augmentation mammoplasty, breast implants

of silicone. Sometimes, they forget to
ask or become very anxious because they don't

know this answer, which is very common among
patients, regarding the use of the bra, the post-surgical garment,

the elastic compression garment.

So, this post-operative bra that patients
use is generally recommended by almost all

plastic surgeons. It is not
mandatory; some surgeons may have a slightly different routine, and its

use will depend exactly on the surgery
performed. Mammoplasty indeed has

certain characteristics, mastopexy with

implants has others, and there are
alternative options to the bra.

Some doctors perform surgery and
bandage the entire patient, not requiring a

bra at that moment, they apply a
bandage until the follow-up and even repeat the bandaging.

Some professionals opt
to use taping. It is now very common for

some doctors to use taping, which
sometimes even helps with swelling, reducing swelling of the

breast, and also gives the patient more confidence.

An alternative to the bra for those who cannot
afford to buy one, or who have surgery through SUS (Brazil's public healthcare system), a

breast reconstruction through SUS.

Sometimes we provide other alternatives
besides bandaging, such as a surgical top, or

even using a regular bra.

However, the main problem with a regular bra
in the post-operative period is the seams;

often the bra seams mark the operated area
and cause discomfort, sometimes directly over the incision.

So, these underwire bras with inward seams
can be detrimental.

This is the difference with a post-surgical bra:

the seams are on the outside and the opening is at the
front, making it much easier for the patient

to open and close it. With a back closure, she won't be
able to move her arm to open and

close the bra.

Therefore, that's why we tend to
recommend the post-surgical bra.

But how long should this bra be used? Well,
it will also be individual,

each patient will have different needs.
I usually have my patients wear it for at least

one month throughout the post-operative period,
meaning day and night,

removing it only for showering. After a month,
I advise the patient to gradually start

using other bras that do not
mark as much, alternating between them during the day

and night. They often prefer to wear the post-surgical bra at night
for security, essentially, as we say, to gradually wean off,

but actually, it's about gradually
discontinuing the consistent use of that bra.

It can be used for longer, there's no problem. Some women
end up wearing it for up to six months,

but one must be aware that these
limitations can be individual, and sometimes even the post-surgical bra,

especially with those long compression garments that extend
to the abdomen, can sometimes even weaken the trunk

muscles. So this needs to be discussed
thoroughly with the doctor to see if it's appropriate

to wear it longer, or if it can be worn for a shorter period. And sometimes
patients develop an allergy within two weeks

and cannot adapt to wearing the bra.

So there are alternatives: it can be a
top, or you can wear a shirt underneath it

to prevent direct contact.

These are alternatives that need to be
discussed with the bra or with the team managing the

post-operative care, and they depend on each
surgery, each technique, each patient, and

each doctor. So if you have any
questions about bras, feel free to ask here,

and I will try to answer as best as possible,
but always respecting the conduct of the plastic surgeon colleague

who performed your surgery.

So, if you liked this video, and have someone
to share it with, please share, like this

video, comment, and that's
it. Thank you very much!