Breast Lift
Breasts may loose their firmness and fullness because of loss of skin tension, gravity, weight loss, pregnancy and lactation. Women, who are satisfied with their size, but wish to have more vital and fresh breasts, may want breast lift surgery. In some women, there is volume loss and flabbiness in both breasts. In this case, a breast lift surgery and breast prosthesis can be applied to enhance the fullness.
Am I a good candidate for breast lift surgery?
If you have one or more of the following conditions, you may be a good candidate for breast lift surgery;
- your breasts sag, but have not lost shape and volume
- your breasts have lost shape and volume
- your nipples fall below the breast crease
- your nipples and areolas point downward
Sometimes the sagging of the breasts may run in the family. And sometimes, though one breast has developed well, the other one may be problematic. There may be differences in the shape and size between breasts. Big breasts can be lifted but the result will not be as long lasting as the small breasts.
Deciding on the operation
Breast lift surgery can be done at any age, but plastic surgeons will advise you to wait until the end of the growth period. Pregnancy and lactation may affect the shape of your breasts deeply. However, many women ask for breast lift before pregnancy and small corrections may be required after lactation. The milk ducts and milk glands and nipples are intact during the incision, and therefore breast feeding can be done after breast lift surgery.
Plastic surgeon will ask you the desired breast size and shape at the first session. He/she will explain how to carry the sagging nipples to their location. Again, it will help your surgeon to understand your expectations, if you tell him all your problems, which are bothering you, other than your breasts. Some of the measurements can be made during the inspection and photographs may be taken. Shape and fullness of your breasts, elasticity of tour skin, the diameters of the breasts and level of your nipples will be recorded. At the same time, your doctor will ask you questions about your medical history, general health status, allergies, previous treatments and drug usage. Breast lift surgery is not covered by the private health insurance.
Operation
Surgery is done under general anesthesia. Accepted methods of breast lift can be summarized in three main groups, the first method is around the nipple, but breast shape, obtained by this method, is relatively flat and broad. The second method is carried out with a T-shaped stitch line around the nipple and gutter under the breasts, extending from below the breast. The last method, we also recommend, is commonly a short sewing line under the nipple and this is continued with a steep lift surgery. The excess skin, which has lost its flexibility is removed during all surgeries and the nipples are carried up to higher levels, where they should be normally. Breast tissue is elevated to fill the upper quadrants of the breast. A small dressing is applied after surgery and bra is worn.
You can go home on the day of surgery and you can get back to your work in three to four days; you can start sports in a few weeks. It is recommended to have a relative to take you home after surgery and to stay with you throughout the night.
Bleeding, infection, delayed wound healing, and the asymmetry occurs very rarely in experienced hands after surgery. Small corrections can be made simply at any time. The feeling in the nipples is still retained by experienced surgeons. Your plastic surgeon may require a mammogram before surgery. To improve the quality of the marks and early fading, we recommend supporting with specific bands of scar lines during the postoperative period of 2 months to help the fading process and we encourage the application of some special creams on the scars.