Breast lift, or mastopexy, is surgery to uplift and improve the shape of a female breast.
Who are good candidates for a breast lift?
Women who are physically and emotionally healthy, have realistic expectations about the results of the surgery, and understand the risks and benefits of the procedure are ideal candidates for a breast lift. Women who expect to bear children should postpone the procedure until no additional pregnancies are planned.
Women may wish to undergo a breast lift for a number of reasons, including the effects of aging, pregnancy, breast-feeding and/or significant weight loss or gain that cause breast skin to lose elasticity and firmness, resulting in sagging.
What is recovery like?
The sutures placed under the skin will dissolve over several months, while those placed on the skin will dissolve in one week. A special bra must be worn continuously, 24 hours a day, for 21 days.
Because there is generally very little pain after this procedure and only a moderate amount of swelling, the patient may usually return to work in three or four days— unless the work involves bending or lifting. Walking may be resumed the day after surgery, but any strenuous activities, including exercise, should be avoided for at least three weeks.
Sometimes the swelling causes a loss of sensitivity in the nipple and breast skin, which is usually only temporary. Most sensation returns within one to three months, but could take up to a year or longer. Unfortunately, in some instances, the loss of sensation is permanent.
For the most part, the suture lines will have faded within a year, with additional fading occurring in the second year. Sometimes scars are extensive and permanent, and the aesthetics of that should be weighed against the improved beauty due to the reshaping of the breast and repositioning of the nipple.
What are the risks associated with the procedure?
Virtually all surgery includes some risks, including reactions to anesthesia, blood clots and infection. Additional possible complications from breast lifts include scars that do not heal as well as expected and the chance of permanent loss of sensitivity in the breasts.
Smokers run additional risks, such as much slower healing, more severe scarring and even the possibility of tissue necrosis from loss of oxygen to the reattached tissue or skin.
Most risks can be mitigated or avoided with strict adherence to your doctor’s instructions, ceasing to smoke weeks prior to the surgery, and washing the areas with anti-bacterial soap for several days leading up to surgery.
Are the results permanent?
Unfortunately there are no permanent fixes for conditions caused by aging and gravity. While breast tissue will eventually sag again in about 95% of cases, there are steps a patient can take to slow the process. Wearing a bra will significantly slow the process and decrease the amount of sagging, as will refraining from smoking and healthy eating habits.
