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Many women wish to regain
the youthful shape and contour of their breasts.
These women complain that loss of skin elasticity,
gravity and other factors such as weight loss,
pregnancy and breast-feeding have changed the
shape and firmness of their breasts. Discontent
with their saggy or droopy breasts, women want
to know what they can do to have a more "perky" and
firm breast shape. When women consult with
Dr. Mills about a breast lift or mastopexy,
they are generally looking to accomplish one
of two things (or a combination of both). The
first goal is to replace the fullness in the
upper pole of the breast that they have lost.
In this case, an implant is typically required
to achieve your desired results. (Refer
to section on breast augmentation.) The other goal that
women typically have is to lift the nipple that
may have started to droop. If you fall into this
second category of women, you are likely a good
candidate for a breast lift to enhance the shape
and contour your droopy breasts.
There are varied incisional approaches
for lifting the breast, including the crescent,
standard and flip-flop mastopexy. During your
consultation, Dr. Mills will evaluate your case
individually and suggest how to best meet your
goals. If you are a good candidate for a breast
lift, Dr. Mills will determine which approach
would be best based upon how much your nipple
needs to be lifted and how much upper pole fullness
is needed. Typically, Dr. Mills makes an incision
around the nipple-areolar complex and in the
crease just under the breast.
• Learn about the Breast Lift Procedure in 3D
• Learn about the Breast Lift with Implants Procedure in 3D
He repositions
the nipple-areolar complex higher and removes
any excess skin, reshaping the breast's contour.
If a patient is additionally looking to add breast
volume, Dr. Mills might also suggest placing
breast implants. However, Dr. Mills usually prefers
to place the implants in a staged manner with
a second surgery to allow for better wound healing,
safety and minimal scar appearance. (See section
on breast
augmentation).
During your consultation and other pre-operative
visits, Dr. Mills will review your shape and
personal goals. Two weeks prior to surgery, you
will meet with our pre-operative patient coordinator,
who will review all instructions with you and
guide you through all of the necessary laboratory
tests and health screenings. If you are a smoker,
you will be advised to quit smoking at least
four weeks prior to surgery and not to resume
for at least two weeks after surgery. Additionally,
you will be advised which medications (including
aspirin and ibuprofen), herbs and potions that
you need to cease taking from two weeks prior
to surgery to two weeks after your surgery. This
appointment will also be a time for you to ask
any final questions. We want you to be physically
and mentally ready for surgery, so that you have
an optimal recovery period and great surgical
results.
On your surgery day, you should allow approximately
5 - 6 hours for pre-operative surgical admission,
surgical time and post-surgical recovery. During
your surgery and recovery, you will be in the
hands of our experienced surgical team, which
included Dr. Mills, a nurse anesthetist, a registered
nurse and surgical technician. We ask that you
have a responsible adult accompany you to and
from the surgery center. This individual should
be accessible by phone during your surgery and
should be at our facility when you are ready
for discharge. After your surgery, you will need
to have someone care for you for the first 24
hours.
You will have an office visit the day following
your surgery, as well as several post-operative
visits within the first week. These appointments
are extremely important and we encourage you
to come to our office daily for the first week
or so, for additional help with your post-operative
regime. Upon returning the day after surgery,
Dr. Mills will remove your surgical dressing.
You will be advised to wear a sports bra for
three months to support the breasts, which is
very important, as your breasts will need extra
support as they heal. After this initial visit,
you will be able to shower. Additionally, Dr.
Mills will suggest that you use oxygen to breathe
post-op (6 hrs/day for the first 2 weeks) because
he has noted better scars and healing with those
patients who have used oxygen.
You will return to our office at one week, two
weeks and one month to remove sutures and to
change surgical tape. In the first couple of
weeks, Dr. Mills will continue to monitor your
progress and advise you in your post-operative
regime and instructions. It is exceptionally
important that you come to all recommended post-operative
visits in order to minimize post-operative complications
and achieve optimal results .
The most common complications associated with
a mastopexy are bleeding, scarring, infection,
asymmetries, changes in nipple or breast sensation
(both temporary and permanent), and adverse reactions
to anesthesia.
Dr. Mills looks forward to meeting
with you in consultation to put together a custom
surgical plan that best meets your needs. Should
you have any questions in the meantime, please
feel free to email our patient coordinator through
our
contact us page.
We want to make sure that you are well informed
about this and any other procedure. Dr. Mills
wants this to be a great experience for you
and we will do everything we can to serve your
needs.
| Mastopexy
Post-Operative Information |
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You can expect: |
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To drive after you are completely off your
pain medications, which is usually about
3 - 5 days. |
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To resume normal activities after about
a week. |
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To avoid strenuous and/or upper-body workouts
for the first 3 - 4 weeks after surgery. |
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To visit our office post-operatively at
one day, 1 week, 2 weeks, 1 month, 3 months,
6 months and 1 year. (We also recommend annual
follow-up visits.) |
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To perform monthly self-breast examinations. |
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To see your final results at about 12 months,
after your skin and tissues have relaxed
and the scars subside. |
| How
much time should I take off of work? |
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| While recovery time may vary, you should
generally expect to take one week off for
an administrative or desk-type job. |
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| Can Dr. Mills
do a breast lift and augmentation at the same
time? |
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| Dr. Mills usually prefers to do these surgeries
at separate times to allow for better wound
healing and minimize the appearance of scars
(although there are some exceptions to this
rule). In doing both a lift and augmentation
at the same time, the blood supply to the
nipple is sometimes strangled. As such, Dr.
Mills usually does not feel that combining
these procedures is safest for the patient.
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| When can I
work out again after surgery? |
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| You can generally do low impact aerobics
after about 3 weeks after surgery. You should
not do higher impact aerobics for at least
3 months after surgery. Dr. Mills does not
want your breasts to be bouncing while they
are healing. |
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| How long after
my surgery can I go in a hot tub or pool? |
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| When you immerse your scar into water, you
lessen the tensile strength (e.g. natural
skin strength), causing the scar to widen.
With normal healing, your tensile strength
returns to 70% after about 3 weeks and 90%
after 8 - 10 weeks post-surgery. Dr. Mills
discourages swimming or hot tubs for the first
10 weeks after surgery. Other than getting
in the shower, you should avoid any immersion
in water during this time. |
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| How long after
my surgery can I sunbathe topless or go in
a tanning bed? |
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| You should stay out of the sun and artificial
tanning lights for anywhere from 6 - 12 months
(and maybe even longer). When premature scars
are exposed to the sun (or tanning bed lights),
they will tan at a different rate than the
surrounding skin and become redder or darker.
This pigment can become permanent, like a
tattoo. You should keep your scars out of
the sun, until the scars are no longer red,
indicating that the scar has matured. Again,
this healing process typically takes anywhere
from 6 - 12 months. Healing rates depend highly
on skin thickness. The chest typically takes
longer to heal since it is thicker skin. |
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