How Should I Prepare for My Breast Lift?
Please read the following requirements and recommendations before your surgery and contact your surgeon’s office with any concerns or questions.
- Before your surgery, do not take any medications that thin the blood. Our office will provide a list of medications that could interfere with your procedure or recovery. Pay close attention to when you must stop taking each medication in the weeks and days before your procedure.
- If you are a smoker, you must not smoke for four weeks before surgery and eight weeks after.
- On the day of your procedure, wear loose-fitting, comfortable clothing.
- Arrange for a friend or family member to escort you home from surgery and remain with you for 24 hours following your procedure.
What Happens During a Breast Lift?
Once in the operating room, your surgeon will review the procedure and discuss the planned incisions and techniques. You will then receive anesthesia to keep you asleep during your surgery. The surgical team will then clean your skin with a special medication, and the surgeon will make the first incision, most commonly around the skin-colored line of the areola. Incisions may extend vertically down to the breast’s crease and/or horizontally along the breast crease. Next, the extra skin is trimmed away, and the underlying tissue is lifted and reshaped to improve breast contour and firmness. The nipples and areolas are then repositioned to a more youthful height, and the skin surrounding the areola is brought down and together to reshape the breast.
In some procedures, implants may be used for extra support and placed in a pocket directly under the breast tissue or deeper (under the muscle of the chest wall). The incisions are closed with multiple layers of stitches placed discreetly under the skin so they are not visible. After your operation, you will be fitted with a surgical bra, which will minimize movement and pain.
Most patients can resume normal activities within a few weeks but should avoid exercise for six to eight weeks. Scars are a typical result of the process, but they will heal and fade with extra care.
As with any surgery, there are potential risks involved with a breast lift procedure. Most complications are avoidable if you follow all pre- and postoperative instructions. Please discuss your concerns with our surgical team before your procedure. To help you make an informed decision, here are the risks associated with mastoplexy:
- Mastopexy carries the risk of bleeding and infection.
- Blood or other fluid collecting in the breasts requires drainage in the office or back in the operating room.
- You may have thickened, painful or keloid scars after your surgery. Each individual has different ways of scarring.
- Occasionally, incisions may open after surgery and will require wound care to the area for several weeks to complete healing.
- It is possible to have a bit of breast asymmetry after your surgery. Occasionally, an additional procedure is needed to improve the symmetry of the breasts.
- It is possible to have increased, decreased or a lack of sensation in your nipples after your surgery.
- A very rare complication of mastopexy is the partial or total loss of a nipple if the blood supply to the nipple is cut off.
In addition to a prescription for antibiotics to prevent infection, you will be given pain medication and advised to take it as needed, as swelling and bruising can be expected. You must have a home caregiver to help monitor your recovery, administer medications and assist with household tasks.
Please follow the recommendations below to ensure timely and optimal healing results:
- Expect your breasts to remain swollen for three to five weeks after surgery.
- In addition to medication, you may apply ice (wrapped in a towel, not directly on the skin) to your breasts to help with pain and swelling.
- It is essential that you wear only the surgical bra given to you or another wireless bra that closes in the front for the first two to three weeks. This bra minimizes movement and allows the muscles, tissue and incisions to heal.
- You can shower two days after surgery but must avoid scrubbing along your incision.
- You must sleep on your back, propped up with several pillows to keep your chest elevated.
- You should avoid heavy lifting and strenuous activity for two to four weeks.
- Your first postoperative visit will be about one week after surgery. At this time, your surgeon will remove the dressing covering your incisions.
If any of the following symptoms arise in the hours or days following your procedure, please contact your surgeon immediately:
- The skin on your breasts becomes red and feels hot to the touch, or one breast becomes much more swollen than the other.
- You have a temperature above 101 degrees Fahrenheit.
- You have significant bleeding through your incision, requiring bandage or dressing changes.
Seek care immediately or call 911 if:
- You experience chest pain or have trouble breathing.
- You experience dizziness that lasts several minutes and does not improve with sitting and relaxing, or you lose consciousness.