In total, I was in theatre for about 45 minutes but the actual procedure itself was a short and sweet 15 minutes – hence its nickname. Like most surgical procedures, I had to wait to eat and go to the bathroom, but by 4.45pm I was discharged.
Post-boob job dos and don’ts
I was prescribed a course of antibiotics for five days and painkillers for three but essentially, it’s just paracetamol and you can have Codeine the first night.
When it comes to practicalities, I ordered a V pillow to sleep on because you can’t turn onto your side for at least two weeks, and you have to wear a support strap around your boobs day and night for a week, which feels pretty uncomfortable.
Courtesy of Becci Vallis
Courtesy of Becci Vallis
For the first week, you can’t lift your hands to wash your hair so I’d also advise investing in some dry shampoo and only wearing front-fastening support bras, zip-up hoodies, cardigans and shirts.
I felt pretty out of it the day after the operation and spent most of my time sleeping. You’ll want to clear your diary while you recover anyway as you can’t drive for a week. Nor can you drink alcohol during this time.
“You’re on a course of antibiotics for the first three days and you may naturally feel a bit groggier than usual, so adding alcohol to the mix isn’t advised as it can cause unwanted side effects such as dizziness, headaches and drowsiness,” says Adrian. “Alcohol can sometimes prolong the swelling, too, which we want to avoid post-op.”
That said, you can have sex when you feel ready. “It’s just important to be mindful of your healing process,” says Adrian.
And gentle exercise and movement like walking is advised – just nothing too strenuous for at least two weeks to allow the body to heal properly, says Adrian. “Vigorous movement can increase swelling, strain the incision sites, and elevate blood pressure, which may lead to complications such as bleeding or delayed recovery,” he notes.
What are the risks?
As with any operation, there are risks, including the risk of infection. But given Mia FemTech is considered to be a minimally invasive surgical procedure, “the risks are generally considered to be lower in comparison to traditional breast augmentation surgery as there is no general anaesthesia required, nor is there cutting of the breast tissue itself,” says Adrian.
That said, Patrick admits that misplacement can be a concern as surgeons don’t have “eyes on” exactly where they’re inserting the implant. It’s another reason why you need to do your due diligence when researching your surgeon – and probably why only a few are currently offering the procedure.
Technically-speaking, Mia FemTech is reversible – but it’s not advised, says Patrick. “There is a system with Mia FemTech where you can go in and suck the implant back out again, but this isn’t ideal. [It’s] potentially much more difficult to deal with complications than with traditional breast augmentation, where you have more visibility.”