Rapid and significant weight loss, pregnancy, nursing, gravity, and the natural aging process are just a few of the many things that can impact the look and positioning of your breasts. The good news is that surgical breast lift procedures can give your bust a far more youthful appearance overall. These treatments are designed to restore sagging, low-hanging breasts to a high, upright position. Best of all, for those seeking to maintain their current breast sizes, these improvements can be attained without the addition of implants. These increasingly popular procedures allow women to regain their confidence and obtain their ideal physiques. They also enable patients to feel good about how they look in form-fitting and cleavage-bearing garments and in the nude. Before scheduling a breast lift procedure, however, it’s best to learn more about the expected healing process. Following are some very important things to know about breast lift incisions and the related road to recovery.
How Breast Lifts are Performed
The breast lift procedure is also known as mastopexy. This treatment is designed to move each nipple higher up on the chest, and to eliminate loose, sagging skin. Mastopexy is a relatively quick, outpatient procedure that typically takes hours to complete. It is typically performed using general anesthesia and usually requires only a single, small-sized opening at each breast. Patients should note, however, that additional openings may be required for treatment depending upon the amount of excess skin that must be removed, and on the positioning of their breasts, among other factors. You can talk to the doctor during your consultation about your personal cosmetic goals in order to arrive at the best surgical plan for achieving them.
Are You a Good Candidate for the Breast Lift Procedure?
Breast lifts are frequently recommended for women with long, sagging breasts as the result of pregnancy, nursing, or gravity. These procedures are also ideal for women who’ve rapidly lost considerable amounts of weight and who now have loose, hanging skin at or around the breasts. This treatment can even be performed to restore high, perky, and ultimately youthful-looking breasts later in life for older women who are seeking to improve their appearances.
Regardless of your motivation for getting a breast lift, however, you must be in good general health and have realistic expectations for your outcome. This procedure typically entails a good deal of recovery time depending upon the number of openings made during treatment and the amount of tissue removal performed. Throughout the recovery process, patients are advised to limit their physical activity and must practice proper infection prevention and care. As such, one very large part of preparing for these procedures is simply making sure that you understand your expected role and responsibilities in the recovery process. When scheduling a consultation, you can learn more about the different steps that recovering patients must take to keep their incision areas clean, healthy, and free of problems.
Candidates Must Be in Good General Health
With any surgery, it is important for patients to be in good general health. This limits the risks of surgical treatment and helps ensure a safe and speedy recovery. As such, ideal candidates for this treatment are either free of chronic health issues like hypertension and diabetes, or they are diligently managing these ailments with the ongoing help of licensed medical professionals. It is also preferable for patients to avoid smoking before and after their procedures. Tobacco users have a much higher risk of experiencing in-treatment and post-treatment problems than do non-smokers. Smoking places unnecessary stress on all of the organs and organ systems, and it impedes proper blood flow. For these and many other reasons, smoking can both delay and derail the recovery process. If you need help establishing a manageable cessation plan ahead of your treatment, you should reach out to your primary care physician for recommendations and guidance. Quitting smoking before your procedure can have a very positive impact on your recovery and your outcome.
Additional Things You Can Do to Expedite the Healing Process
Small tubes may be inserted into the openings to promote proper drainage as your body recovers. Our professionals will give you detailed instructions on cleaning and caring for your openings, and for preventing post-treatment infections. This is known as wound care, and it generally involves simple dressing changes. In many instances, antibiotics may be prescribed as a precautionary measure. These should be taken according to the recommended dosing schedule and until the entire course is complete. Patients are also advised to wear compression garments or special support bras in the weeks that follow their procedures. These garments will give the breasts ample support during the recovery process.
It is important for breast lift patients to have plenty of support at home during their recovery efforts. If you are responsible for caring for small pets and minor children, you may need to share these responsibilities with others during the formative stages of healing. You can also expect some discomfort when lifting your arms above your head and engaging in any other challenging activities. This soreness will persist throughout the days that follow your procedure. Due to this fact, it is additionally advisable to have a friend or family member on hand who can assist with basic, personal care tasks throughout this time.
Standalone and Combination Treatments
Depending upon the current size and positioning of your breasts, and your overall cosmetic goals, you may want to have your breast lift treatment paired with other breast augmentation, breast implant removal, or lifting procedures. Whether or not your procedure is a standalone treatment will also impact the healing process. If this treatment is paired with fat transfer or an implant procedure, for example, your recovery time will probably be increased. With combination surgeries, however, every effort is made to minimize the number of incisions, limit the risk of scarring, and promote optimum healing and recovery. It is also important to note that advances in surgical instruments and techniques have made these and other cosmetic surgeries far less invasive than they were in the past.
A Note About Future Pregnancies
Getting a breast lift is a great way to regain your pre-pregnancy confidence and physique, and without having to make dramatic changes to your physical proportions. If you plan on having additional kids in the future, however, you may want to put this procedure off until you’re all done. Pregnancy and the weight gain associated with it can cause the ligaments within the breasts to again stretch and sag. As such, you’ll get the best and longest-lasting benefits from the treatment by waiting until after you are finished having children. It is also a good idea for women to delay treatment if they are still working towards their weight loss goals. The best time for any lifting procedure is when you are already at or very close to your ideal body weight.
Establishing Feasible Expectations for Your Outcome
As with all surgical breast enhancement procedures, breast lifts require patients to have feasible expectations for their outcomes. These treatments entail a significant amount of healing time and often involve considerable swelling, bruising, and inflammation. As such, you should expect to wait a set amount of time after your procedure before being able to accurately assess your results. Once these common effects have abated, you’ll be able to see just how much the positioning and overall appearance of your breasts have improved. You should be able to enjoy the results for years to come, but it’s important to note that the procedure will not stop the aging process.
Scheduling Your Breast Lift Consultation in San DiegoIf you are unhappy with the look of your breasts and are willing to undergo a surgical procedure to improve their appearance, your first step is to reach out and make an appointment with board certified San Diego plastic surgeon Dr. Katerina Gallus and our team at Restore SD Plastic Surgery! This will give the doctor a chance to assess the positioning and appearance of your breasts, and to determine the best course of action for helping you achieve your cosmetic goals. In many instances, a breast lift that’s performed as a standalone procedure will be capable of restoring low-hanging breasts back to their original perky and upright position. There are also times, however, when implants may be recommended as a means for adding volume, improving breast symmetry, and enhancing the look of the bust overall. At our office in San Diego, we pride ourselves on providing our patients with the best and most thorough care possible. Call 858-224-2281 or contact us online today to schedule your consultation!
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