Breast Lift
Understanding Breast Lifts
Over time a woman’s breasts often lose their shape and firmness. This change can be a result of pregnancy and breastfeeding, weight fluctuation, or sheer aging and gravity. A breast lift is a procedure that removes excess skin and tightens the surrounding tissue to raise and reshape the breasts and reposition the nipples. Since a breast lift won’t significantly change the size or fullness of the breasts, some women opt to undergo a reduction or augmentation in conjunction with the lift.
Initial Consultation
During your initial consultation, you will meet with one of our surgeons and your patient-care coordinator. They will carefully and completely review your health history and perform a thorough breast exam, which generally includes taking measurements to determine the size and shape of your breasts, the skin quality and level of tissue loss. They will also measure the placement of your nipples and areolas. They may also take photographs for your medical records. Finally, the surgeon will discuss with you the risks, benefits, and potential complications as well as explain in detail what the procedure entails.
Procedure
The surgery itself will take approximately two-and-a-half to three hours and will require general anesthesia. To begin the procedure, your surgeon will create a keyhole incision around the areola and extending vertically to the base of the breast; through this opening, the underlying tissue will be lifted and reshaped to improve curve and firmness. Additionally, the nipples and areolas may be resized and repositioned as necessary, and any excess skin will be removed to compensate for the loss of elasticity. Once this is completed, the incision sites will be closed using multiple layers of sutures.
It is important to understand that this procedure will leave you with permanent incision marks; however, our surgeons are committed to working with you to reduce the appearance of these scars. Even though we utilize the most advanced fading techniques, the visibility of remaining marks depends on three things: time, your genetic makeup, and how well you take care of your incisions, the latter on which we will provide you with specific instructions.
Recovery
Most patients are able to return home the day of their surgery; however, you will need someone to drive you as well as to stay with you for the first 24 hours. The post-surgical pain is a discomfort, but most all women state that it is tolerable, especially with the help of prescribed pain medications (along with antibiotics to reduce the risk of infection).
Following your surgery, you will be required to wear a sports bra for the first month, after which, the doctor will reevaluate you to determine if it is safe to return to wearing underwire bras. Regarding the incision sites, they will require at least six months of diligent wound care. Once the surgeon shows you exactly how to treat them, your time and discipline will have a great effect on the degree of fading. As far as getting back to your normal schedule, most people are able to return to work in a few days; however, if your job has more strenuous requirements, you may be asked to take several weeks off to fully heal.
Risks
Regardless of a surgeon’s extensive skill and training, a problem that many women experience after a breast lift (with or without reduction or augmentation) is asymmetry. This unevenness will usually resolve over time, but very rarely a minor corrective procedure (which can be done under local anesthesia) may be required. Other potential but rare complications include hematoma, seroma, infection, loss of sensation in the nipple, keloid scar formation, widening of scars, and difficulties in healing. Because of our commitment to patient safety and satisfaction, our surgeons will not perform this procedure unless a patient has completely quit smoking for at least three months pre-operatively, as smoking significantly increases your risk of complications and interferes with wound healing.