| Dr. Marguerite Barnett is a plastic surgeon certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. Here the doctor has answered some common questions that Bizymoms visitors have about Breast Lift Surgery.
Q. What are some of the most common benefits of breast lift surgery?
A. Breast lift surgery is usually undertaken by women who have had the breasts sag after having children although sometimes we perform it on younger women who have not have babies. If the breasts have fallen and can’t get up, we can help!
Q. What will happen at my initial consultation?
A. At an initial consultation for breast lift surgery, I will ask questions about your general health to determine if you are a candidate for surgery and if there are any issues which would complicate the procedure such as smoking or prior history of breast surgery or family history of breast cancer, for example. These things do not prevent us from operating but they do make me proceed with caution. I will then examine the breasts to see exactly what I have to work with and ask questions to determine what your ideal breasts should be. Some women want to be larger as well as perkier; others smaller. There is no one-size-fits-all-procedure. What I do must be customized to you and your needs. If I determine that a woman is a good candidate, we will then make sure she has realistic expectations. For example, while it might seem like fun to be Dolly Parton for a day or two, going excessively large could result in chronic back pain and may not be worth the risk. Some women also may think a lift means they never have to wear a bra. That may or may not be true depending on many factors like how large they are and whether the tissues are strong enough to support the weight of the breasts if they go braless. Gravity is NOT our friend and many things need to be discussed.
Q. How long does breast lift surgery take?
A. The breast lift surgery is done as outpatient surgery so it does not require a hospital stay unless the woman has unusual medical problems. The surgery may take as little as half an hour if a woman simply wants to perk up her breasts with an implant or as long as two and a half hours if she has a lot of droop or wants to go much smaller. All the surgery is done under general anesthesia so the patient does not have to worry about feeling any pain during the surgery. I use a certified outpatient OR with board-certified anesthesiologists because i feel that is the safest for my patients. That way I can relax and concentrate on making them look good. Most women say it is not a very painful surgery, not compared to surgery like c-sections or hysterectomies. I generally ask that the woman take it easy for three to five days and wear a good supportive bra day and night for six weeks while the breasts are healing. Most women are able to resume a brisk walk within a day or two and even return to the gym within a week. Because i use dissolving sutures, nothing needs to be removed afterwards and patients are able to shower the day after surgery. The risks of surgery are small and usually involve the risks of anesthesia which are similar to the risks you take driving in a car. Other risks include chance of bleeding (minimized if you do not take blood thinners, are not a bleeder and obey instructions afterwards), infection (rare if one is not a smoker or diabetic) and possible loss of nipple sensation. The scars usually fade well and most people take less than a week off from work to recover. We discuss all these things and more on the initial consultation. Often patients like to look at photos of some of my patients before and after surgery so they can get an idea of how they will look and what the scars might look like.
Q. Do I have to stay in the hospital?
A. One does not need to stay in the hospital unless she has some unusual medical issues. For example I recently did a lift on a woman with sickle cell anemia and she had to stay in the hospital for special treatment before and after the surgery to prevent sickle cell crisis. This is very unusual and most people do not need to stay in the hospital.
Q. How can we contact Dr. Barnett if we have further questions?
A. If you are interested in consulting with me about a breast lift, please call (941)927-2447 or email me at drbarnett@mandalamedspa.com. My website is www.drmbarnett.com |
