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BREAST LIFT
A breast lift involves removing the excess skin from your
breast by making a cut around each nipple and sometimes a
T-shaped scar under your breast. This can sometimes result in
temporary or even permanent numbness of the nipple. The
operation is likely to cause discomfort and it is most important
to take adequate rest after surgery. Surgery may take 3 hours to
complete and you will be in hospital for one or two nights after
surgery. There will be small tubes (drains) coming out from each
breast when you wake up. These collect any blood but, despite
their use there may be a collection of blood underneath the skin
and breast tissue. If this is the case, you may require a return
visit to the operating theatre for removal of the blood clot.
You will have dressings on your breasts, which will be removed
after a week and any stitches are removed at this time. Despite
taking careful measurements of the breasts and the new nipple
position before your operation, and checking the shape and
dimensions of your breasts at the end of the operation, it is
not possible to guarantee that your breasts will end up
symmetrical.
Once the dressings come off you should wear a bra day and
night for the first month. A bra should have no bones or wires
in it and should be made of a soft, stretchy material such as
lycra (like a sports bra). You should not drive for two weeks
and avoid heavy exercise for 6-8 weeks. You should be back to
normal activity by 3 months after the operation.
There are potential complications with the operation, in
particular those relating to scars which include the risk of
infection of the wounds, which would leave you with a scar wider
than that which is ideal. The scars usually settle over a period
of two to three months, to leave a fine line, though some scars
become red, raised and itchy, and remain so for approximately
nine to eighteen months after surgery. These settle to leave
wide, flat scars. The risks are approximately 4% in each case.
A breast lift involves cutting into fat, which can then die.
The dead fat either appears as a sterile abscess coming through
the wound or as a tender lump underneath the skin. Dressings may
be required if this happens. If the lump remains, this can have
calcium deposited within it, which can show up on an X-ray. It
is, therefore, very important in the future that if you have a
mammogram performed, you tell the medical staff that you have
had surgery to the breast in the past.
It can be dangerous to be on the contraceptive pill, or other
hormone pill, containing Oestrogen within 6 weeks prior to the
date of your operation and 2 weeks afterwards. It is advisable
for you to discuss an alternative method of contraception, or
medication, with your doctor before discontinuing it altogether.
It is also inadvisable to be on regular Aspirin containing
tablets, rheumatic-type drugs like Nurofen or Brufen, or Ginkgo
Biloba, as these can cause bleeding. You should discontinue them
not less than 1 week before the operation. Smoking affects your
skin blood vessels and makes both bleeding after operation and
the risk of skin dying, more likely. If you are in doubt about
any of these points please consult us or your doctor.
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