Breast Lift Treatment
The ideal female breast is taut & perky & has a graceful shape which is pleasing to the eyes. Breasts that have lost their shape & volume (after breast feeding, aging or weight loss) & are now sagging can be corrected with a breast lift.
Procedure
A breast lift procedure helps to produce an aesthetically more youthful breast by lifting and reshaping them. For those with minor sagginess, breast augmentation can be an ideal technique of correcting the problem as well as increasing its fullness.Whilst those with more severe droopiness who would like to have a fuller breast will need both a surgical lift and a breast implant to achieve the desirable effect.
Breasts of any size can be lifted, but the results may not last as long in heavy breasts. The best results are usually achieved in women with small, sagging breasts, who are generally satisfied with their breast size but unhappy with the lack of firmness, or the fact that the nipples point to the floor.
If you’re planning to have more children, it may be a good idea to postpone your breast lift. There are no special risks that affect future pregnancies, pregnancy is likely to stretch your breasts again and offset the results of the procedure. Breast lift surgery will not interfere with the ability to breast-feed if the milk ducts are left intact.
In a breast reduction, we excise excess skin & breast tissue to mould the breast into a new shape. In a breast lift, we do not excise but reposition the native breast tissue to achieve better looking breasts. In some ladies, (requests, expectations & tissue requirements) an implant is placed concomitantly with the breast lift. This allows us to provide more volume & projection.
The choice of the appropriate technique varies according the type of breast and the desired shape. The incision outlines the area from which breast skin will be removed and defines the new location for the nipple. More incisions usually mean a better shape can be achieved and this should be discussed during the consultation.
The incisions for a breast lift vary; the “inverted T”,is one incision around the nipple, one in the fold below the breast and a third vertical incision joining them. The second is the “vertical” technique with two incisions, one around the nipple and a vertical one. The third is called “periareolar” and uses only an incision around the nipple.
If you’re having an implant inserted (breast augmentation) along with your breast lift, it will be placed in a pocket directly under the breast tissue, or deeper, under the muscle of the chest wall.
The Surgery takes about 3-5 hours.
Hospital Stay
1-2 days stay
Anaesthesia
Recovery
Temporary pain is treated with analgesics. Swelling, tenderness, numbness of skin, bruising, and tiredness, some, or all of these can last up to several weeks. Small drains are removed after a few days. Dressings are applied and will be changed every other day for the first 2 weeks.
Within a few days, the bandages or surgical bra will be replaced by a soft support bra. To be worn around the clock for 3-4 weeks. The stitches will be removed after a week or two.
You can expect some loss of feeling in your nipples and breast skin, which usually fades as the swelling subsides over the next 6 weeks or so, however, it may last a year or more, and occasionally it may be permanent.
You may be up and about in a day or two, and back to work after a week. Avoid lifting anything over your head for 3-4 weeks. You may be instructed to avoid sex for a week or more, and avoid strenuous sports for about a month.
If you become pregnant, the operation should not affect your ability to breast-feed, since your milk ducts and nipples will be left intact.
