Mastopexy
Breast Droop
Look in the mirror, and carefully inspect your breasts. If your nipples have drooped to the level of the crease beneath your breast, then you have mild droop. If they have drooped below this line, then you have moderate droop. If they are pointing toward your shoes, then you have advanced droop.
Can Breast Implants Solve Droop?
Breast augmentation will not improve true droop, but will improve pseudo-droop. In Pseudo droop, the nipple is above the breast crease; only breast tissue sags below the crease.
Incisions and Scars in Breast Lift
Scars are the greatest drawback of this operation. They will be around the nipple, and may also extend from the nipple down to the crease, and along the breast crease. The extent of scars is often related to the degree of droop: the greater the droop, the more extensive the scars.
Breast Lift: During and After Surgery
Anesthesia: General or sedation.
Location of operation: Office or hospital.
Length of surgery: 1-2 hours (3-4 hours if performed with augmentation).
Length of stay: Outpatient (home same day).
Discomfort: Mild to moderate. Anticipate 2-7 days of prescription pain medication.
Swelling and Bruising: Improve in 3-10 days.
Bandages: Will be removed in 1-7 days.
Stitches: Will be removed in 5-7 days.
Support: You will wear a sports bra or ace wrap for 1-4 weeks. Avoid an under wire bra until your surgeon approves it.
Back to work: 3-7 days. Exercise: May be resumed in 2 weeks.
Final result: Will be seen after the scars have matured, which will be about six months.
Tips and Traps of Breast Lift
- Realize that this operation involves the exchange of one cosmetic problem (droop) for another (scars). If you are unwilling to accept scars, you should not have this operation, as no surgeon can predict how the scars will heal on you.
- As a general rule, the more extensive your droop, the more extensive will be your scars.
Wait until you are done having children before considering breast lift: future pregnancy is likely to leave you with droopy breasts again. - Quit smoking for at least two weeks before surgery.
- Anticipate recurrent droop if your breasts are large. The larger your breasts, the more droop you can expect, and the sooner you can expect it.
