Breast Lift Treatment - Procedure, Cost and Side Effects

A breast lift addresses sagging and uneven breasts, decreased breast volume and drooping nipples and stretched areolas, recreating a youthful shape and lift to the breasts. If there is too little or too much breast volume, a breast augmentation or breast reduction might be recommended in addition to a lift.

As women get older, the shape of their breasts change, and they lose firmness and elasticity. There are many causes for these changes, including pregnancy, weight fluctuations, and even something as basic as gravity. A breast lift can reduce sagging and raise the position of the nipples and the areolae. The size of the areolae can also be reduced during the procedure to keep them in proportion to the newly shaped breasts.

There are three major kinds of breast lift procedures, depending on the incision type: The donut, Benelli, or circumareolar technique which achieves a lift by making a donut-shaped incision around the areola; the Lollipop or vertical incision technique which circles the areola and extends downward; and the anchor technique, which starts with lollipop incisions, then adds a horizontal incision along the breast crease.

Your surgeon will select a technique based on your breast size and shape, areola size and position, degree of breast sagging, skin quality and elasticity and how much extra skin you have.

Breast lift surgery typically takes between 90 minutes and four hours. Typically, the patient is put under general anesthesia, and the length of the procedure depends upon the patient’s current and desired cup size. Different techniques for removing breast skin and reshaping the breast determine the location of the incisions and resulting scars.

Your surgeon will select breast lift surgery technique based on your breast size and shape, areola size and position, degree of breast sagging, skin quality and elasticity and how much extra skin you have.

Initially, the plastic surgeon removes the excess breast skin and shifts the nipple and areola to a higher position. Skin that was formerly located above the areola is brought down and together, beneath the breast, to reshape the breast. Once this has been done, the surgeon removes any excess skin, and then closes the incisions, tightening the skin, sewing the breast back together and placing sutures deep in the breast tissue to support the new breast position for a longer period of time.

The nipples and areolas remain attached to underlying mounds of tissue, and this usually allows for the preservation of sensation and the ability to breast-feed. In some patients, it may be possible to avoid the horizontal incision beneath the breast as well as the vertical incision that runs from the bottom edge of the areola to the breast crease. However, not all patients are good candidates for this breast lift technique, and it is up to your surgeon to decide if you are eligible for it.

Breasts generally tend to lose their firmness and elasticity with time. Women might consider a breast lift if they have saggy breasts (breasts that have lost shape or volume, or have gotten flatter and longer), if they have nipples that fall below the breast creases, if their nipples and areolae point downward, or if one breast sags more than the other.

Women of all ages are eligible for breast lifts. However, if you are not planning on pregnancy in the near future, then it is advisable to get a breast lift done after the pregnancy. Also, breastfeeding after getting a breast lift done is not advised.

Like any other surgical procedure, undergoing breast lift surgery carries its own set of side effects & risks. Some patients can have an allergic reaction to the anesthetic used during breast lift treatment. Following the breast lift surgery, your surgeon will prescribe some medication to assist the healing process following breast lift surgery. However, it is possible that patients will have an allergic reaction to this medication.

The most common side effects associated with breast lift surgery are scarring. Unfortunately, any surgery that utilizes incisions will leave scars. Although all plastic surgeons are conscious of the appearance of scars and work towards leaving the smallest scar possible, the presence of permanent scars is unavoidable. Moreover, during the breast lift surgery, nerve endings will be severed and it may take several months for these nerve endings to regenerate.

After a breast lift, it is extremely important for patients to follow all after-care instructions provided by the surgeon. You should avoid excessive physical activity for at least the first two weeks following surgery. You may be instructed to wear a support bra for a few weeks, until the swelling and discoloration of your breasts diminish. Generally, stitches will be removed in stages over a period of approximately three weeks, beginning about one week after surgery. Avoid straining, bending and lifting since these activities might cause increased swelling or even bleeding. Normal activities can be resumed after 4-6 weeks.

The recovery period after a breast lift varies, but you should expect an average time period of about a week. Your doctor may also recommend that you avoid exercise or lifting anything heavy for the first six weeks following your procedure. After this time, you should be able to assume all normal activity, but it may take several months for your breasts to settle into place, with complete wound healing often taking at least a year.

The breast lift surgery costs between Rs. 60,000 and Rs.1,25,000. However, in case additional procedures like breast implants have to be added, then the expenses increase accordingly.

Once a breast lift has been done, the result is permanent. However, in case a woman gets pregnant after the breast lift has been done, then there are chances of the breast sagging again. This is why breast lifts are generally recommended for women who don’t plan on getting pregnant at least a year or two after the surgery.

There are no alternatives to getting a breast lift done. There are a variety of pills and creams available in the market that promise to help lift breasts and increase their firmness, but their effectiveness has not been proved till date.