Introduction to Breast Lift Surgery
Many women start experiencing breast sagging due to aging, excess body weight, or pregnancy. This condition can be treated with the help of a cosmetic treatment known as the Breast lift.
Nowadays, the majority of women are considering breast lift surgery in Dubai because of its increasing popularity and promising results. After all, every woman dreams of having perfectly contoured breasts.
Breast lift surgery, also known as Mastopexy has done wonders for women who are facing conditions like sagging breasts, areola, and nipples in a downward direction or stretched out areolas.
Having sagging or aging breasts can be very self-deteriorating and can affect your mental health if you are very conscious about your physical appearance. So, if you are one of those women who are looking to get Mastopexy done, then this post is just for you.
In today’s article, we are going to explore breast lift surgery in detail and will educate you about the procedure.
Things You Must Know About the Treatment
Here, in this section, we have outlined some major highlights of the procedure that every woman must know before opting for the treatment.
- What is a breast lift?
- What are the pros and cons?
- How is it performed?
- Is it a medically safe procedure?
- What are the goals of the treatment?
- What are the preferable techniques?
- How much does it cost?
So, let’s dive into the details to enlighten you about the breast lift procedure for a clear understanding.
What is a Breast Lift?
A breast lift surgery is a cosmetic procedure that treats sagging breasts and lifts them by removing the excess tissues. It tightens the surrounding tissues for reshaping and supporting the new breast contour.
Moreover, it also repositions the nipples and areola. Sometimes, the areola enlarges with the passage of time, breast lift surgery can fix this issue as well. It reduces the areola and improves the appearance of your breasts.
Breast lift procedure can be combined with other procedures like breast reduction, breast implants, or breast fat transfer for the restoration of lost volume or shape.
For example, if you want to have small breasts, you can get a breast lift surgery combined with a breast reduction surgery.
Similarly, if you want fuller breasts, you can get breast lift combined with breast augmentation. So, women who are facing issues with their breasts can undergo breast lift procedures.
What are the pros and cons?
The first thing you should know about any treatment is the pros and cons. What benefits are you going to reap from it, and what side-effects it can produce?
So, let’s discuss the pros first.
- A breast lift can be a perfect solution for women who have stretched areolas and skin after pregnancy and weight loss.
- It does not have a prolonged downtime like other surgeries. It typically requires five days, while some patients only need pain medications to recover after the surgery.
- Another advantage of breast surgery is that it has the lowest complication rate.
- It improves the symmetry, shape, and projection of breasts.
After the pros, now let’s have a look at the cons as well.
- Breast lift surgery is not meant to change the size of the breasts. It will only change the shape, which means that you will have to couple it up with either breast reduction or augmentation.
- Scars can appear after the surgery, which in case of poor healing, can lead to permanent scars.
- It’s compulsory for you to maintain your weight for consistent results because weight gain or loss can alter the size, shape, and perkiness of your breasts.
- It is an expensive treatment.
- The results can diminish with time due to aging or gravity.
You should not rush while deciding to get treatment especially if it’s a surgical procedure like a breast lift. Always learn about the pros and cons of the treatment and consider all the aspects of breast lift before undergoing it. It is advisable to have realistic expectations from the treatment.
How is it performed?
The whole breast lift surgery has basically the following procedural steps;
- Creation of an incision
- Elimination of excess skin and breast tissues
- Moving the areola and the nipples to a higher position
- In-depth tissue suturing for the support of newly positioned breasts
- Closure of the incisions with the help of dissolvable sutures.
Now let’s have a detailed analysis of the surgery.
During the breast lift procedure, you are given general anesthesia to keep you completely numb or asleep. The treatment begins by making an incision around your areola either in a crescent shape or like a full donut.
The kind or number of incisions to be made depends on your condition.
For example, if you have minor sagging, then a crescent-shaped incision would be enough. However, if you have significant sagging then the surgeon has to create a lollipop-shaped incision along with a horizontal incision to form a full anchor.
It completely depends on the surgeon how he is going to make the incisions. Therefore, consult with him before starting the procedure.
Once the breasts are reshaped, and areola size is reduced, the surgeon will then put stitches deep inside the breasts to support the tissues.
After this, the skin is brought together with sutures, surgical tape, or a tissue adhesive.
Breast lift surgery takes almost two to three hours for completion, and doctors will allow you to go home on the same day.
You should not be left alone during the surgery because the anesthesia can make you feel groggy even after the treatment.
Is it a medically safe procedure?
Overall it is a safe procedure, but there are few side-effects associated with it just like any other surgical treatment.
The general surgery risks include infection, bleeding, or anesthesia reactions. However, risks related to breast lift surgery include;
- Loss of sensation in nipples or breasts – Normally this side-effect subsides and sensation returns within a few weeks but sometimes loss of sensation can be permanent too.
- Damage to the nipples – Although it is rare there is a chance of partial or complete loss of nipples or areola. This can happen when the blood supply to the nipples gets interrupted during the breast lift surgery.
- Problems in breastfeeding – Some women can face difficulty in producing milk and consequently in breastfeeding.
- Uneven breast shape and size – Irregularities or asymmetry can occur in the shape and size of breasts during the healing phase.
- Scarring – Breast lift surgery causes permanent scars but they might soften or fade away within 1-2 years. The poor healing process can result in thick and wide scars too.
Therefore, it becomes essential to pick a plastic surgeon who is a specialist in breast surgeries and can ensure your safety before, during, and after the surgery.
By choosing a highly qualified surgeon, the chances of risks reduce significantly.
What are the goals of the treatment?
It is necessary to see if the goals of the treatment are aligning with your goals as well. The major goals of breast lift surgery are;
- Repositioning the underlying tissues
- Removing the unwanted skin
- Lifting your breasts, making them perky, and maintaining their shape.
- Enhancing the symmetry of the breasts.
- Repositioning of nipples and areolas.
If you have the same goals for your breast appearance then breast lift surgery is the ideal match for you.
What are the preferable techniques?
Many people do not know that there are different techniques to perform breast lift surgery. Therefore, in this section, we will discuss several techniques to perform the surgery.
Crescent Lift
It is the least invasive technique in which a crescent of skin is removed from the top of the nipple. It is usually preferable for ladies with minimal sagging.
The Crescent lift technique involves only a single incision that goes halfway along the outer edge of the areola. It causes a scar that is almost invisible because it hides in the dark pigment of the areola.
Circumareolar Lift
Circumareolar breast lift, also known as the Benelli lift, involves making a donut-shaped incision around the edges of the areola in order to remove the excess skin and tissues.
The incisions are made in a way that the visibility of scars can be reduced greatly. This technique is suitable for women with moderate sagging and repositions the breasts at a position that looks more natural and young.
Lollipop Lift
Also known as vertical scar lift, lollipop lift involves making an incision around the areola that extends vertically down, reaching the breast crease.
It is suitable for women with moderate breast sagging and involves two incisions. One circular incision is made around the outer edge of the areola and the second vertical incision is made at the bottom of the areola.
As the shape of incisions resembles a lollipop; therefore, it is known as a lollipop lift. We have mentioned this technique previously while explaining the procedure in detail.
Anchor Lift
Then there is another technique known as anchor lift in which the incision is made horizontally around the breast crease to create a full anchor.
It is preferable for women who want to have a dramatic improvement for their significantly sagging breasts. Anchor lift is also known as “Inverted T lift” and it requires three incisions.
- First incision circles the outer edge of the areola.
- The second incision runs vertically from the bottom of the areola to the inframammary fold.
- The third incision runs horizontally along the natural breast crease.
Again, as mentioned earlier, the technique chosen by your doctor depends on the condition of your breasts or the inelasticity in your breasts.
How much does it cost?
It is one of the most important things that most of the patients are interested in knowing. Just like before buying anything from the store, you ask about its cost first.
In the same way, before undergoing the treatment, you need to know its price as well. The average cost of breast lift surgery particularly in Dubai (just for an idea and your convenience) is 30,000 to 35000+ AED.
It can vary depending upon the case and involves the following;
- Anesthesia fee
- Surgeon’s fee
- Clinic facilities cost
- Medical tests
- Medications
- Post-surgery garments
The exact cost of the treatment can only be revealed by the hospital or the clinic because it varies and solely depends on different factors.
These common factors which influence the cost include the surgeon’s skills, the current condition of the breasts, and the hospital chosen.
- Selection of a surgeon – the surgeon you choose influences the price because a highly skilled and reputable surgeon will obviously charge a hefty amount. An inexperienced surgeon may charge less, but you will be exposed to more complications if the surgery goes wrong.
- Hospital Chosen – Breast lift is a surgical procedure, which means you have to stay at the hospital for one day, at least. Make sure to select the hospital that has all the facilities. So, the cost of the treatment will include hospital charges too.
- Breast Condition – If your breasts have sagged considerably, then it is obvious that the surgeon will have to do a lot of work. As a result, the cost will increase. However, if the breast is at the initial stage of sagging then not much work is needed.
Conclusion
We have tried to cover almost all the important aspects of breast lift surgery in this article. These are the seven most important factors that every woman should know before she opts for breast lift surgery.
You just need to choose a reputable cosmetic surgery clinic in Dubai for good results and experience. The success of the surgery and the safety of the patient can be ensured only if the surgeon is highly reputable.
Half of the ambiguities regarding the treatment vanish when you have a skilled doctor. You can discuss everything with him/her from techniques, goals, side-effects to costs.
So, take the first step towards a healthy life by contouring your breasts through breast lift surgery and get rid of sagging breasts for life.