Breast lift

Beautiful, firm breasts can sag with age due to skin laxity and decreased tissue elasticity. Weight loss and pregnancies can also lead to sagging breasts. A breast lift restores the original firmness and positioning of the breasts.

Your breasts do not feel too large to you, but they have lost their firmness and have gradually begun to sag.

The nipples point downwards or are positioned too low (below the breast fold).

If so, then you qualify for breast enhancement.

If you are not only dissatisfied with the decreased firmness of your breasts but also feel that your breast volume is too small, a breast lift can be combined with breast implants.

If your breasts sag but are also too heavy, you are a better candidate for a breast reduction.

A breast lift is performed under general anaesthesia and takes an average of 2 hours. The incisions used depend on the breast anatomy and excess skin. A fine scar around the areola will always be present. Usually, a vertical seam below the areola is also used, and possibly an additional seam in the breast fold. The incisions are carefully closed with absorbable sutures. You may go home a few hours after surgery (a day hospital admission).

You need to arrange transport to return home from the hospital. A supportive sports bra is fitted before you go home and should be worn for six weeks after surgery. Showering is allowed immediately after surgery. High fever and chest redness may indicate an infection and should be reported to your attending surgeon immediately. A breast lift procedure causes relatively little pain. A mild painkiller may be needed, however After one week, light (domestic and administrative) work is possible. A ten-day holiday after breast enhancement is not a luxury. Intensive sports should be avoided for six weeks.

A 3D simulation of the intended result is made for each breast lift.

The advantages of the Vectra 3D simulation for breast enhancement include:

• By precisely visualising and measuring the current condition with 3D photography, the physician can form a detailed picture of the patient's breasts (size, shape and asymmetry) and accurately plan the breast lift.
• The surgeon can give the patient insight into her own anatomy and show what is technically feasible and what is not.
• Patients can gain a clear idea of the procedure results. If the simulated breast lift does not restore the desired fullness of the breast, an additional implant placement may be needed. Different implants can be shown to achieve the desired result.

The possible (but rare) complications of a breast lift include:

• Post-operative bleeding: this rarely occurs. The drainage tubes remove the excess blood via the armpit. Very rarely, a haematoma (post-operative bleeding) may need to be removed surgically. It is recommended that you do not take aspirin derivatives after surgery to avoid post-operative bleeding.
• Infection: very rare, except in smokers and diabetics. Stopping smoking a few weeks before and after surgery is definitely recommended. Good glycaemic controls in diabetics are also indispensable. High fever and chest redness after the procedure may indicate an infection and should be reported to your attending surgeon immediately. Infections are treated with antibiotics.
• Thromboembolisms: DVT or clot formation in the calves due to immobilisation during surgery and lung embolisms have become a rarity due to preventive measures (compression stockings for the calves and, in high-risk patients, the administration of a light blood thinner (heparin derivative) just before and immediately after the surgery.

A breast lift does not increase the risk of breast cancer and does not interfere with breast cancer screening (mammography/ ultrasound imaging).

Breastfeeding: is often no longer possible after a breast lift. If you are still considering breastfeeding, it is best to postpone the procedure until the desire to have children is fulfilled.

Nipple Sensitivity: Sensation in the nipples may be reduced immediately after a breast lift. After a long period, this sensation may return, but the recovery is not always complete.

The wound seams are red for the first few months but usually fade to a fine white line over the long term. Your physician may recommend massaging the scars with moisturising creams or scar ointments, or even applying specific silicone bandages. You can best assess scarring by asking your surgeon to show you some photos of post-operative results before you undergo the surgery.

Mammograms are perfectly possible after a breast reduction, and their interpretation is not affected by the procedure. Since the breast needs time to heal after a breast lift, it is best to wait three months before undergoing a mammogram.

Often, regardless of age, a mammogram is performed before the surgery (to exclude rare tumours) and one year after the surgery (as a baseline examination for comparison with later mammograms).

A breast lift is an aesthetic procedure that is not reimbursed by health insurance.

Only if the breast sagging is due to excessively heavy breasts and there are also other complaints (e.g. neck pain, back pain or digging bra shoulder straps) can permission be requested from the health insurance fund for a breast reduction, and a portion of the surgery costs will be reimbursed.

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Latest publication date: 13/08/2024
Supervising author: Dr Vertriest Rudolf