When breasts are flaccid, sagging, or drooping but are not excessively large and an implant cannot make it firm, GeneralSurgery is a good candidate for mastopexy.. The cause may be an inherited tendency. It may also be due to pregnancy, weight gain and loss, or it is simply a natural effect of aging. As the skin and muscles lose their elasticity, the breasts often lose their shape and firmness and begin to sag.
Mastopexy is an operation that can restore firmness to the breasts and correct their position on the chest wall without increasing or decreasing their size. The operation involves a reorganization of the soft tissues, changing the position of the nipple and increasing firmness by tightening the skin covering.
Technical information about breast lift:
It consists of removing excess skin and replacing the mammary gland. If this is not possible, a prosthesis may be placed in addition to removing the skin. Scars appear only in the periareolar area along with another vertical scar. In these cases, as in the case of breast reduction, we must wait for the patient's response, if he is satisfied with the scar left before continuing with the operation.
What do I have to do before pre-operation?
- Complete blood test.
- ECG.
- Chest x-rays.
- Bilateral mammography.
After the operation
You should wear a sports or surgical bra. Avoid straining or excessive movement for the first 15 days after surgery until the stitches are removed.
Post-operative care
The treatment and care of the scars begin once the stitches have been removed to obtain the best results. The massages will be applied during the first 15 days after the operation if a prosthesis has been implanted, these massages are intended to relax the capsule that forms around the prosthesis and thus avoid a capsular contracture. Capsular contracture: This is caused by the hardening of the scar around the implant, in some cases it can contract and the implant can be rounded, firm and possibly painful. Treatment for capsular contracture may require surgery, implant replacement, or even removal.
Operation information
- Anesthesia: general anesthesia.
- Place of the procedure: Hospital.
- Surgery time: between 2 and 4 hours.
- Length of hospital stay: 1 day.
Frequently Asked Questions About Breast Lift
What are the techniques of breast lift surgery (mastopexy)?
All methods to this day are based on the elimination of the skin. Perhaps the most important characteristic is to find the balance between the volume and shape of the breast and the surface of the skin that holds that volume. If these two characteristics are correctly proportioned, an attractive breast is usually obtained. When one of the points mentioned above fails, that is, when there is too much skin for the volume of the breast, then the breast will be sagging and will be below the normal level. Correcting this problem requires either increasing the volume, with an implant, or decreasing the area of skin, called mastopexy, sometimes even both methods are necessary. The use of an implant is discussed in depth in the consultation. Skin removal will always have a scar somewhere on the breast.
Can you lose feeling in your nipples?
Yes it is a possibility, because virtually all mastopexies involve cutting around the nipple. The nerves grow back slowly, so the sense of touch normally returns to normal after two years, and if it doesn't, it probably won't. The nipples may not grow back.
What type of cicatrization will occur?
The removal of the skin always causes a scar on some part of the breast. With the circumareolar technique they make a single incision around the edge of the nipple. Because this technique limits the removal of excess skin and tissue to the area around the nipple, it produces very subtle results. For women who have moderately sagging breasts there is the vertical technique (Lolipop) which uses an incision around the edge of the nipple, a second vertical incision from the nipple to the crease beneath the breast. If the surgeon must remove large amounts of excess skin and tissue in addition to the first two incisions, a third, final crescent incision must be made along the breast crease.
What is the usual recovery time after a mastopexy?
Recovery time depends on each patient, but usually follows a general pattern. During the first five to seven days, patients take medication for pains that are quite severe, usually a mild narcotic. During this time, they usually stay home and can neither drive nor operate any type of machinery. When they start taking the milder medication, they can start doing light exercise, such as walking, bicycling, stationary bicycling , but not doing impact exercises such as running or aerobic exercise.
