| Dr. Anna I. Wooten is a plastic surgeon certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. Here the Doctor has answered some of the common questions Bizymoms visitors have about Breast Lifting.
Q. What is Breast Lifting?
A. Breast Lifting surgery or Mastopexy, is done to lift the sagging breasts to a more youthful, higher position on the female body. This can be done with or without implants. I perform a technique called the Brazilian Breast Lift, which uses the patient’s own breast tissue that is lifted and used instead of an implant, but still giving the implant look. This way, the patient never has to worry about the complications typically associated with implants, such as deflation, or capsules forming.
Q. How is breast lift surgery done?
A. Breast Lift surgery can be done in several different ways. There is a wide variety of scarring, depending on the surgeon’s technique. Examples are periareolar technique, lollipop or tennis racket technique, and the anchor technique. I try to minimize the length of scar while I perform breast lift surgery. You can go to my website @ beleza-plasticsurgery.com to learn more about each specific procedure.
Q. What is the recovery period like?
A. Surprisingly, breast surgery is not very painful. Breasts will be bruised and swollen for a few days, but the pain should not be severe. Any discomfort will be relieved with pain medications. Although I advise walking the next day, most patients return to work in about one week. Patients are NOT permitted any heavy lifting or reaching for 4‐6 weeks post surgery. After surgery, they wear an elastic bandage or surgical bra. There are no drains, all sutures are absorbable and won’t have to be removed.
Q. Who is an ideal candidate for breast lift surgery?
A. The best candidates for this type of surgery are those women who notice loss of skin elasticity, gravity and other factors such as weight loss, pregnancy and breast-feeding, which ultimately affect the shape and firmness of the breast. Patients who are generally satisfied with the size of their breasts can have a breast lift to raise and firm them, resulting in a more youthful breast contour. The primary indication for breast lift or mastopexy is breast ptosis. " Ptosis" is derived from the Greek word "fall." It is the naturally occurring condition of descent of the nipple areola and breast tissue on the chest wall. On the other hand, if patients are unhappy with the loss of significant breast volume, adding implants in conjunction with a breast lift can be perfomed by increasing breast size while simultaneously enhancing the shape and positioning of the breasts. Until recently, a breast lift without implant, has not always provided the best long-term improvement. Plastic surgeons have tried many procedures over the years to reshape the breast but they acomplished only temorary upper breast fullness. I offer a procedure in my practice that is known as "Brazilian Breast Lift" which is done using a more limited incision, and rearranging the patient’s own breast tissue, producing long lasting upper breast fullness or "an implant like augmented breast."
Q. Are there risks and complications to a breast lift surgery?
A. Breast surgery is a very low risk procedure. As with any surgical procedure, it is important to choose a Board Certified specialist in this field. As a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon, I perform breast lift procedures daily and was specifically trained for many years to perform this type of surgery. This insures that you have the most highly trained surgeon performing your surgery, according to federal government regulations.
Q. How much does breast lift surgery cost?
A. Breast lift surgery costs approx. $6000.00 -6500.00 depending on the facility where it is performed.
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