| Dr. James Thompson 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 also called mastopexy is a surgery performed to lift the breast tissue and nipple into a more youthful and pleasing position. It is often combined with breast implants for patients who want larger breasts, and is part of a breast reduction for those that want smaller breasts.
Q. How is breast lift surgery done?
A. Breast lift surgery can be performed using a variety of incisions depending on the needs of the patient. At the least an incision is made around the areola (the darker skin around the nipple) which is a good place to hide an incision. Sometimes an incision is made from the bottom of the areola down to the fold below the breast, and sometimes a side to side incision in the breast fold is required. The breast tissue is lifted into the new desired position and excess skin is removed.
Q. What is the recovery period like?
A. The recovery varies based on the extent of surgery. Most patients are able to return to non physical work in a few days. Generally speaking patients should expect to avoid athletic activity for at least 4 weeks.
Q. Who is an ideal candidate for breast lift surgery?
A. Patients who are generally healthy and have sagging or deflated breasts are the typical ones seeking a breast lift. Ideally the surgery would be performed after the woman is finished having children. Also, if significant weight loss is planned this can change the shape of the breast, so the surgery should be delayed until the weight is stabilized.
Q. Are there risks and complications to a breast lift surgery?
A. The general risks of any surgery include wound infections, bleeding or fluid collections. Specific to breast lift surgery the woman should be aware that this could interfere with future breast feeding or cause lasting skin numbness, scarring, and asymmetry. It is also possible that the surgery could interfere with the reading of future mammograms.
Q. How long do the results last?
A. Over time the breast tissue will fall some with gravity. However, barring pregnancy or significant weight loss most patients will have long lasting results and may not ever require additional surgery.
Q. How much does breast lift surgery cost?
A. Costs can vary widely between practices in different cities and sometimes even within the same city. Also, if additional procedures are performed this would increase the cost. In general, women in our area should expect to pay between $4,000 and $6,000.
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