Mastopexy

Mastopexy allows you to lift the breasts, improve their shape and correct any blemishes that appear after pregnancy, breastfeeding or weight loss or during aging. In fact, the increase in the volume and weight of the breast can significantly stretch the skin, subjecting it to significant mechanical stress. The subsequent reduction of the breast leaves the skin emptied and without the elasticity necessary to adapt to the new volume of the breast; the deep connective structures can become damaged, contributing to skin laxity, and stretch marks can appear. Aging can, however, promote ptosis of the breast, contributing to the loss of elasticity and firmness of the skin.

Before surgery it is necessary to wait at least 6 months from the end of the last breastfeeding. If the patient follows a diet, it is necessary to wait until the pre-established weight is reached and ensure its stability. You may need to have a mammogram.

Mastopexy surgery can be performed as a day hospital or requiring hospitalization for one night. It is conducted under general anesthesia and lasts between 90 minutes and 3 hours. There are two broad types of intervention. The breast lift without implants involves lifting the areola, nipple and gland upwards and reshaping the shape of the breasts. The breast augmentation involves the insertion of breast implants to increase the size of the breast and improve its shape.

After mastopexy it is necessary to undergo check-ups to carry out dressings and remove stitches. Sometimes, at the time of discharge, a moderately compressive dressing is applied. Additionally, wearing a compression bra for two months may be recommended. The swelling and bruising, which may appear, are completely normal and will subside as the days go by. After the third day the patient will be able to return to carrying out her daily activities, but avoiding any type of effort. 7-10 days after the operation it will be possible to resume work, as long as it is not excessively tiring, while for sporting activities it will be advisable to wait at least 3-4 weeks.

Painkillers can be administered before surgery and then gradually reduced during the postoperative period. Additionally, antibiotics may be prescribed.

The breast lift without implants, performed with the round-block technique, involves making a single incision around the areola. Over time the scar becomes less and less visible. Sometimes, however, more evident scars may remain, called inverted T or J-shaped scars, associated with operations that require larger corrections, which involve making both an incision around the areola and a vertical incision in the lower part of the breast. The latter reaches up to the breast fold, where it joins with a third incision that runs along the entire fold, reaching, in some cases, up to under the arms.

Immediately after surgery, your breasts may appear excessively lifted and swollen, but in the following weeks they will take on the desired shape. Except in rare cases, even the sensitivity of the areola-nipple complex, which may initially be significantly reduced, will return to almost normal after a few months.

Mastopexy surgery is associated with the risk of hematomas, infections, wound problems, alterations in sensitivity, unsatisfactory healing outcomes, localized indurations, asymmetries and total or partial loss of the nipple-areola complex. However, it does not alter the possibility of breastfeeding.