Breast Lift - Frequently Asked Questions
Q. How do I know if I need a breast lift?
- If breast sagging is a major concern, you should consider a breast lift. Do not do a breast augmentation thinking that this will correct your sagging.
Q. I'm satisfied with my size. I just want a lift. Can I do this and avoid implants?
- A breast lift alone will cause a reduction in size because this is necessary to remove extra tissue from the lower pole. If you wish to maintain the same size, but just have it repositioned, you should consider a breast lift in combination with (small) implants to give you the added fullness up top.
Q. I don't really want implants. I'm not in favor of artifical materials in my body and I'm concerned about the safety.
- You may consider saline-filled implants. If they leak, it's just water which is not harmful. Or just have a breast lift and forego implants.
Q. What happens to the feeling in my nipples?
- There may be a temporary loss of sensation, but this feeling usually returns. The nipples are never divided from the underlying tissue, so that nerve branches are spared.
Q. How bad are the scars?
- The scars are better now that we are using the vertical technique. There is a circular scar around the areola and a vertical scar down the middle of the breast. These usually heal well and are well concealed. I do not use the inverted-T approach. This approach avoids a horizontal scar and provides better breast shape.
Q. Is it painful?
- A breast lift is not as painful as a breast augmentation because there is no need to make a pocket under the muscle. A breast lift done in conjunction with a breast augmentation is no more painful that a breast augmentation alone. This is because the pain usually comes from the dissection under the muscle to place the implant.
Q. Can I still breast feed?
- Because the nipple stays attached to underlying breast tissue, this surgery is unlikely to affect your ability to breast feed.
Q. How do you know what size to use?
- The selection of size is more art than science. Although there are measurement systems available, these tend to underestimate implant size. Inserting implants in the bra is not particularly helpful because this does not accurately reflect the change in size that is created by an implant that is placed in the body.
- Ideally, the patient achieves the size she wants in one operation. After talking with my patient, examining her, and looking at pictures of other patients with her, I have a good idea what she wants. Some women bring magazine photos, which is helpful too.
- In my practice, almost no one says she is too large at the time of her one-month follow-up appointment. This is not to say that some surgeons do not put in overly large implants. Some do and I've certainly had the occasion to down-size patients treated elsewhere.
- I do have the occasional patient that wants to be larger. Over a five year study period, five patients returned for larger sizes. No one returned to have her implants changed to a smaller size. It is often difficult even for patients to know what size they want. Some patients become more appreciative of their breasts after surgery and less inhibited about a larger size, which is why it is important for me to bring my own judgment and experience into the decision-making.
Q. When can I return to work?
- Most patients return to work in a week, but there certainly is a range. Some women get back to work in a few days and others are glad they took a week off. If you have a physical job, two weeks off is better.
Q. Do you use a pain pump?
- No. Although it sounds like a good idea, pain pumps have not worked well in practice. Patients find them cumbersome and pain scores with the pump were not significantly better than patients treated without a pump in a controlled double-blind study.
