Is Plastic Surgery in Portland Seasonal? Answer by Dr. DeMars
Patients sometimes ask if plastic surgery in Portland is seasonal, and it is. Faceliftsand eyelid surgery are more popular in the winter months, likely due to the down time after the holidays and before our beautiful spring and summer when there are more social activities.
The most seasonal procedure of all, however, is breast augmentation. Most patients in Portland start scheduling their consultations in February, and this “busy breast augmentation” period lasts through June. Many of these surgeries are performed in the late spring and early summer – in time for women to have their new look in time for swimsuit season!
For women to be ready to flaunt their new look in the summer, there are a few things to take into consideration. The process requires a thorough consultation to discuss the patient’s goals and then subsequently finding a surgery date that allows plenty of time for healing before all the summer activities. In most cases the breast implants are placed behind the large pectoralis muscle of the upper chest; this gives a more natural look by obscuring the implant margins and creating a softer result, but those muscles are pretty “unhappy” for a while after the surgery and require time to recover. The first week requires rest and time off from work and child care. After the first week, the majority of our patients are back to desk type work and off all pain medications, except maybe Advil (Ibuprofen) and are walking for exercise in the second or third week, in the gym by the fourth to sixth week (except for heavy upper body workouts) and back to running in the sixth week and all heavy exercise after two months.
Breast augmentation patients are ready to travel comfortably by the second or third week in most cases and can also get in a pool about that time. Their new shape looks great by the third to sixth week after surgery. Then it’s time to go shopping for that perfect swim wear!
Regardless of seasonality, its a good idea to plan ahead for work and child care, and the chance to get the actual surgery scheduled on a day that suits the patient’s active life. And don’t forget to plan for a time when you can to have some down time for recovery.
Have questions about finding the “right” time for your surgery? Let us know!
