If your breasts have drooped or sagged due to gravity, major weight loss or post pregnancy / after breast feeding and you want your breasts to be firmer, higher and more youthful-looking as they were before, a breast lift surgery is a good option for you. A breast lift can rejuvenate your figure by restoring the lift and shape that is often lost due to these reasons. If you have lost breast volume over the years and you want to add more fullness, implants can also be placed to increase breast size at the same time. You may be a good candidate for breast lift or mastopexyif you have:
- Pendulous or sagging breasts
- Breasts that lack substance or firmness (Empty Breasts)
- Nipples and areolapointing downwards instead of forwards.
Consultation
During consultation, it is important to honestly discuss :
- Your concerns, desires and your surgical goals
- All your Medical conditions, any drug allergies, and previous medical / surgical treatments
- All Current medications including vitamins and herbal supplements as well as alcohol, tobacco, and drug use
- Any Previous surgeries
Your Aesthetic Surgeon would also like to evaluate :
- Evaluate your general health status and any pre-existing health conditions or risk factors
- Examine and measure your breasts, including taking detailed measurements of their size and shape, skin quality, and placement of your nipples and areolas.
- Take clinical photographs for documentation
- Discuss your ideal surgery options - only a breast lift or a breast lift with augmentation.
- Recommend a course of treatmentand discuss pros and cons of different options
- Discuss likely outcomes and any risks or potential complications
It’s very important for you to understand all aspects of your procedure. It’s natural to feel some anxiety or a bit of preoperative stress but pleasediscuss this thoroughly with your cosmetic surgeon so you feel at ease by the time of the procedure.
Preparing for Breast lift
In preparing for surgery, you may be instructed as follows :
- Get a full panel of lab tests and a medical evaluation.
- You may be asked to have a mammogram to rule out any pathological lesion.
- Take certain medications pre-operatively or adjust / stop your current medications for a few days prior to surgery
- Completely stop smoking for at least a week prior to surgery
- Avoid taking aspirin, anti-inflammatory drugs, and herbal supplements as they can increase bleeding
How is breast lift performed?
The procedure is performed in an operation theatre under general anaesthesia. Your surgeon will mark the areas in detail and plan the surgery for you pre-operatively while you are standing.
Depending on the extent of breast sagging and skin quality the incisions are planned -
- Donut mastopexy - A Donut shaped area of skin around the areola is removed and the ring of skin stitched back. This method is adequate when there is minimal breast and skin laxity.
- Short vertical scar mastopexy (Key - hole or Lollipop or racquet Mastopexy) - The incision is around the areola and vertically down from the areola to the infra -mammary crease. This is suitable for moderate breast and skin laxity.
- Anchor mastopexy - this method is rarely required in cases with severe skin laxity in the lower half It adds a horizontal scar under the breast to tighten this excess skin. Addition of volume with a small sized implant may be necessary in some cases.
A Short vertical scar mastopexy is the most commonly performed Breast Lift surgery. It involves the following steps :
- The underlying breast tissue is lifted and reshaped to improve breast contour and firmness.
- The nipple and areola are repositioned to a natural, more youthful height.
- If necessary, enlarged areolas are reduced by excising skin at the perimeter.
- Excess breast skin is removed to compensate for a loss of elasticity and tighten the lax skin envelope.
The incisions are closed using self-dissolving sutures and supportive dressing is applied.
