Breast Augmentation for Pound Ridge, NY

The part of recovery nobody mentions: the car

In a town as rural as Pound Ridge, most errands mean getting in the car, and that is the detail worth planning first for a breast augmentation. Dr. Chang Soo Kim’s guidance restricts driving for several weeks after the operation, so the trip home, the first check-ups and the everyday errands all need someone else at the wheel for a while. The good news is that the trip itself is short. Bellava is at 182 Route 117 Bypass Road in Bedford Hills, roughly nine miles from the Pound Ridge Town House and about 19 minutes without traffic by Routes 172 and 22.

On the day

Dr. Kim performs augmentation under intravenous sedation or general anesthesia, in Bellava’s own surgical suite, accredited by The Joint Commission. Before you go in, he reviews the plan with you and marks the incisions; most of his augmentations use an incision in the crease beneath the breast, where the scar hides well. Bellava’s own preparation list is short:

• arrange your ride to Bedford Hills and back;
• follow the instructions on eating and drinking beforehand;
• stop smoking, and pause any medicines you are asked to;
• wear something loose that is easy to put on;
• set up your recovery spot at home with essentials within reach.

The weeks after, in order

• From the start: light walking only. It keeps your circulation moving and lowers the risk of blood clots. Heavy lifting and strenuous effort are off the table.
• Within about a week: most patients are back to their regular activities, still wearing a supportive surgical bra day and night.
• Two to three weeks: light exercise, as the incisions heal and the swelling eases.
• Four to six weeks: with Dr. Kim’s clearance, low-impact cardio such as a stationary bike, and strength work for the lower body.
• Six to eight weeks at least: before push-ups, chest presses or weights that load the chest.

The steeper trails in Ward Pound Ridge Reservation, Westchester’s largest park, belong in that last group: save them until Dr. Kim says so. For the last of the swelling to go and the final shape to show can take up to a year.

Your surgeon

Dr. Chang Soo Kim earned his medical degree at the Yale School of Medicine, trained at Yale–New Haven Hospital and is board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery.

Pound Ridge patients ask

When can I drive again? Dr. Kim tells you at your follow-up; it depends on how you are healing, not on a fixed date. Plan for several weeks.

Which implant will I have? Silicone or saline, chosen with Dr. Kim at the consultation, where sizers let you see a volume on yourself. Implants last ten years or more on average and may eventually need replacing.

How do I start? Consultations are free and arranged by Bellava’s patient coordinator, not booked online: send a request, call or text, and she will get back to you. Meanwhile, our breast augmentation page goes into more depth, and the gallery shows his own patients.