Sometimes, age and gravity are not the causes for breasts to sag. Right from adolescence, a small percentage of women develop breasts that are not naturally firm. Some others may experience sagging or a loss of shape due to aging, genes, weight loss, pregnancy and breastfeeding. Most women seeking breast correction or improvement can benefit from a lift, irrespective of their age. Ideal breast lift candidates have nipples that are below the level of the crease under the breast, where the breast meets the rest of the body.

Exercise and a healthy diet do wonders for toning muscles and improving overall health. Unfortunately, there is little an exercise and diet regimen can do to affect breast skin, unlike in other areas of the body. Currently only plastic surgery is capable of reducing breast skin laxity.

Breastfeeding is always good for the baby and the mother. However, some Mastopexy procedures will need your surgeon to cut the milk ducts while repositioning the breasts, having a negative impact on breastfeeding. However, the risk is minimal. Patients must discuss this during consultations with the surgeon and take a decision after carefully weighing all the considerations and criteria.

It is important that the patient opting for a breast lift does not smoke for at least two weeks prior to the surgery. The body needs to rid itself of all nicotine before the procedure. At Chennai Plastic Surgery, the surgeons conduct a blood check for nicotine levels before the procedure. If a woman has recently smoked, the mastopexy will be cancelled.

Mastopexy reduces breast sagging and raises the nipple/areola. You will have firmer breasts that sit upright, giving you a more youthful appearance.

The bad news: some stretch marks may be removed from areas where the skin is removed during surgery. Typically the ones on the lower breasts are removed, while the marks on the upper breasts remain. Now for the good news: a side effect of the skin tightening process involved in Mastopexy can be the partial smoothing of any stretch marks surrounding the operating area.

Typically, tissue is removed from around the areola and below the breast, as found necessary. This tightens the breast tissue and allows the nipple to be moved to a higher position to create the “lift”.

Yes. In fact, many patients opt for larger scale body improvements and choose to undergo liposuction or a tummy tuck alongside their Mastopexy. These procedures can help reverse signs of aging or correct the kind of problems that commonly develop following pregnancy. The surgery can be coupled with breast enlargement or reduction. Individual goals are discussed in detail with every patient before the operation.

Every woman recovers differently. Generally, the first five to seven days after breast surgery are spent resting at home. During this time, patients take mild pain medication to combat any discomfort. They cannot drive or operate machinery. After approximately a week, patients will be able to resume light exercise, like walking. More vigorous activities such as aerobics or running must wait for a while. Depending on your recovery process, the surgeon would advice you on resuming a more strenuous exercise regimen. Normally, it takes approximately three weeks to get back to running, aerobics, and weight training. Breast lift patients must factor in at least two weeks off from work in order to recover properly. If the patient’s job involves strenuous physical activities, work may need to be postponed for more than just two weeks. If you’ve had more than one procedure performed, such a tummy tuck and breast lift, your after surgery care instructions will also be different. In order to maximize results and ensure patient safety, post-operation appointments will be scheduled. These check-ups allow the doctor to fully review the healing process, scarring and the outcome of the surgery. Patients could call the clinic during their recovery for answers to questions or help with concerns when they come up.

Scarring will happen. Every patient must weigh the benefits of their breast lift against the drawback of scarring for themselves before deciding on going in for a Mastopexy.

Every single person’s skin changes over time. The breasts may gradually show signs of stretching or sagging years after surgery. An improved breast contour is less likely to degrade over time than skin tension.

There is the possibility of a risk of losing sensation around the nipple area. Almost every breast lift requires incisions around the nipple. If this complication does occur, patients may need to wait for the nerves to grow back. If sensation has not returned after two years, it’s likely that the nipples may never regain their normal sense of touch.

Loss of Sensitivity in the Breasts Several patients experience temporary loss in breast sensitivity after Mastopexy. This is because the nerve endings have been cut during the operation, and need the healing touch of time, sometimes several months, for normal sensation to return. In some rare cases, the procedure can lead to a permanent loss of sensation in the breasts and/or areola area. Scarring Any injury results in scars. And Mastopexy is no exception. But, these scars are usually not problematic. A lowdown on the kinds of scars:

• Hypertrophic scars are red, raised and lumpy
• Keloids are tissue overgrowths that extend past the incisions made during surgery or the development of inner scar tissue.

Smokers or those who have a medical history of abnormal scarring are at greater risk for developing more apparent breast lift scars. Scar gels and silicone gel sheeting can help minimize scarring. It’s important to remember that scarring looks worse just after surgery and begin fading over time. Wound Separation (Dehiscence) Revision surgery isn’t usually required to treat the wound separation problem. Smokers and diabetics are among those who may experience a separation of the operating wound edges. If wounds do separate, take care to keep the area as clean as possible. Women who experience wound separation will take longer to completely recover from their Mastopexy.

Breast Skin or Nipple Loss Due to effects on the blood circulation during a breast lift, there is a risk that part of the breast skin, or the nipple, could turn black. It is a much higher risk, however, in diabetics and smokers, and for this reason Mastopexy surgery is not perform on these patients.

Breast Asymmetry Naturally, all women have some level of asymmetry. It is when this asymmetry is noticeable and causes distress and discomfort, correction using surgery must be done for a more balanced look.

Blood Loss Excessive blood loss, although not common, may need blood transfusion. If the bleeding fails to stop on its own, it needs immediate medical attention. To reduce the risk of post-operative bleeding, patients are given instructions to avoid the use of anti-coagulant medications and supplements like vitamin E, garlic tablets and aspirin.

Hematoma A hematoma is caused by blood collecting and clotting in a body cavity. It could cause swelling, pain, develop scar tissue, infections and other complications. Patients would know a hematoma has developed when one breast becomes significantly bigger than the other, even 2-3 times bigger! It would also become very painful – a sure sign that the doctor must know and medical care must be administered immediately.

Fat Necrosis When fat lacks a proper supply of blood it becomes necrotic, or perishes. The affected tissue turns orange and begins to weep. This is a problem and could lead to causing major infections. Patients must seek immediate treatment to remove the necrotic tissue. However, it is a rare occurrence in breast tissue and can be seen in smokers, women who suffer from diabetes or circulatory problems. Those who have undergone radioactive/chemotherapy treatment are at an increased risk of developing necrosis.

Infection Normally, infections show up within three days following surgery. The signs are severe swelling, redness, significant pain that shows no sign of improvement, discharge, a foul smell, a fever of 38 degrees Celsius or higher and intense heat stemming from the operated area.

General Dissatisfaction with Surgical Results of Mastopexy Dissatisfaction will not occur if patients have realistic expectations from their breast lift surgery. In any surgery, skin is cut. Therefore scarring is a given. You need to accept that in your mind. Anyway, these scars are never visible in public. When you know what to expect, you automatically keep your expectations real. And we, at Chennai Plastic Surgery are known to exceed expectations in a positive way.