Breast Lift (Mastopexy) - cont.
Breast Lift Surgery
The procedure is performed on an outpatient basis with general anesthesia. The patient is first marked in an upright position prior to entering the operating room. The skin to be excised is marked as well as the new lifted location for the nipple/areola complex. If the breasts are asymmetric, breast tissue may be removed to attain symmetry. This breast tissue is routinely sent for pathologic evaluation.
Long-acting local anesthesia may be injected as intercostal nerve blocks to minimize postoperative discomfort, which should last at least 6-8 hours. At the end of the case, the patient is placed in a dressing consisting of gauze padding and ace bandages wrapped circumferentially like a tube top.
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Age: 36 yo
Procedure:
-Wise pattern mastopexy
Time after surgery: 2.5 months
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Recovery from Breast Lift Surgery
For the initial 24 hrs after surgery, it is normal for there to be drainage staining the dressing on the outside. The patient is seen in the next few days for dressing (+/- drain) removal. If non-dissolving sutures are used around the nipple/areola complex, these are removed at 4 and 8 days after surgery. All of the remaining sutures dissolve. The patient is asked to limit the use of her arms, keeping her elbows by her side for a period of 2 weeks from the day of the surgery. At that time, she will gradually start resuming her normal level of activity with the expectation that she will be back to normal at approximately 3-4 weeks. It is recommended that a mammogram not be performed until approximately 9-12 months after surgery to allow the scar tissue to settle and remodel.
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Age: 47 yo
Procedure:
-Breast augmentation
-Wise pattern mastopexy
Implants: Saline, moderate profile
-Left: 225cc
-Right: 225cc
Time after surgery: 9 months
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Breast Lift Risks and Complications
Risks and complications are uncommon, but may occur. They include, but are not limited to: infection, bleeding, unfavorable scarring, delayed wound healing, sensory changes of the overlying skin and nipple (increased, decreased, lost), loss of the actual nipple (very rare), persistent asymmetry, and need for revision in the future. If a breast augmentation is performed with the breast lift, there is also a risk of capsular contracture and implant deflation.
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Age: 46 yo
Procedure: s
-Wise pattern mastopexy
Time after surgery: 10 months
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Capsular contracture is our primary concern after breast augmentation. The capsule is the scar tissue which normally forms around the implants. If this scar tissue tightens around the implants, it may cause distortion and/or discomfort. This may be treated initially with more aggressive massage exercises. Accolate, a medication typically used for asthma, may also be added, as it can lessen capsular contracture in some patients. If these measures are unsuccessful, surgery is needed to remove the scar tissue and reopen the pocket. Implant massage exercises are then restarted a few days later to maintain the larger pocket and prevent recurrence.
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Age: 50 yo
Procedure:
-Bilateral capsulectomy
-Implant exchange from subglandular to subpectoral position
-Wise pattern mastopexy
Implants: Silicone, moderate plus profile
-Left: 350cc
-Right: 350cc
Time after surgery: 14 months
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Procedures that may complement Breast Lift
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