Breast Lift

A breast lift is applied to those with structurally sagging breasts, those whose breasts have emptied and sagged after childbirth and breastfeeding, those whose breasts have sagged after excessive weight loss, and those whose breasts have sagged with age. This procedure is also performed on patients with “tubular breast deformity”, also called goat breast (tuberous breast).

Breast lift procedures are generally performed on middle-aged patients who have given birth. However, if the breasts are structurally saggy, they can also be performed on very young patients. Especially in patients with tubular breast deformity, surgery can be performed at very early ages. As with all aesthetic procedures, breast lift operations are not applied to patients under the age of 18 unless there is a special situation.

In breast lift operations, the following scars may remain depending on the degree of sagging:

• Only around the nipple (periareolar mastopexy)
• Around the nipple and a vertical scar running downwards from there (vertical mastopexy)
• Around the nipple, a vertical scar running downwards from there and a horizontal scar located under the breast (inverted T method) Only in the fold of the breast (augmentation mastopexy)

If the nipple has not sagged much and the breast has emptied after childbirth, the sagging can be corrected just by placing a breast implant. (augmentation mastopexy) In this case, as in augmentation operations, there will only be a short incision under the breast.

The method we use most frequently for breast lift is vertical mastopexy. With this method the scar is not very extensive and the aesthetic results are the best. In terms of permanence, vertical mastopexy is also superior to other techniques.

If the size of the breast tissue is sufficient, only a lift procedure can be performed. If there is loss of breast volume after childbirth and weight loss, or if the patient wants larger breasts after the procedure, the lift procedure and the placement of silicone implants can be performed in the same session. In this way an upright and full breast appearance can be obtained. If there is excess breast volume, in this case breast reduction is also frequently performed in lift operations. In this way the breast is enabled to maintain its upright shape for longer.

As in all operations, in breast lift it is necessary to stop aspirin and smoking 3 weeks before the operation. In the last 1 week it is necessary to stay away from medicines and similar substances that may thin the blood.

Things that should not be used:

Painkillers such as Apranax, Voltaren, Vermidon (when a painkiller is needed, Minoset, Novalgin can be used),

Multivitamin pills containing substances such as ginseng, ginkgo biloba, coenzyme Q,

Herbal products such as green tea, flaxseed, cherry stalk, tomato seed

Foods known to thin the blood, such as cherries and parsley

All slimming products

Before all breast operations, every patient needs to have a mammogram/breast ultrasound. Having a radiological image on hand before the procedure on the breast is very important for subsequent follow-up. When 1 year has passed since the breast lift operation, the mammogram/breast ultrasound is repeated.

Breast lift operations are operations that must be performed in operating theatre conditions and under general anaesthesia.

A breast lift operation takes approximately 2 hours. The greater the sagging of the breasts, the longer the operation takes.

When only a breast lift is performed, or when a lift is performed together with breast reduction, there is not much pain. There is mild pain in the first few days and it can be controlled with simple painkillers.

In patients who have breast implants placed together with a breast lift, the implants are generally placed over the muscle and generally small implants are used. In addition, since the implant is placed to fill the already existing excess skin, the tension in the skin is not as great as in breast augmentation operations. For this reason it can be said that there will not be much pain with implant placement either. However, if the implant is placed under the muscle, a painful period similar to that in breast augmentation procedures is experienced. Stronger painkillers may be needed during the first 3 days.

Three hours after the end of the breast lift, the patient can eat and get up. Usually the patient is discharged from hospital after 6 hours. There is a small dressing on the patient's incision site. They can shower after two days. They come for a check-up after three days and can then return to work, resume normal daily activities and drive. They should not do any sport other than walking for the first 3 weeks. Also for the first 3 weeks they need to wear a sports bra day and night. After the third week they can do all sporting activities except arm and chest movements. After the sixth week, all kinds of sporting activity are allowed.

For the first 3 weeks after a breast lift (mastopexy), the breasts sit higher and more upright than normal, and their appearance is not natural. After the third week the appearance of the breasts begins to return to normal and the breasts begin to descend to their normal position. The breasts only take on their full shape in the 3rd month. Unless there is a special situation, subsequent check-ups are carried out at the 3rd week, 3rd month, 6th month and at the end of the first year. When a year has passed since the mastopexy operation, a follow-up mammogram/ultrasound is performed.

What has been said for breast reduction also applies to breast lift operations. In those who have had a breast lift, the risk of being unable to breastfeed is even lower than in those who have had a reduction. It can be said that breastfeeding rates are no different from those of other women.

There may be temporary loss of sensation after breast lift operations. Permanent loss of sensation is not expected. In some patients there may be tenderness or hypersensitivity in the nipples after a breast lift. All these changes in sensation disappear a few months after the operation.

The breast lift procedure has no connection whatsoever with breast cancer. When performed together with breast reduction, it markedly reduces the risk of breast cancer. In addition, pathological examination of the removed pieces provides important information for patient follow-up. In patients in whom breast implants are used during the lift, the risk of cancer does not increase either.

The most common problems after a breast lift are poor scars, the breasts not being lifted enough, asymmetries, and the nipples remaining higher or lower than they should. All these problems can be overcome with careful planning and a meticulous surgical technique.

In patients who have breast implants placed during a breast lift, problems related to the implant may occur. The most important of these is capsular contracture. You can find detailed information on this under the breast augmentation heading.

As the patient ages, there will also be some loosening in the breasts; however, there is never a return to the state before the operation.