A breast lift usually takes approximately two hours to complete. Your cosmetic surgeon will place you under general anesthesia so that you are able to sleep through the entire procedure. He will begin your procedure by making an incision down from the nipple and along the crease of your breast in an anchor-like shape. From there, excess skin is trimmed away and your breasts are elevated to a more youthful position. The nipple may be raised to match the new placement of the breasts. Women who are also looking to regain volume in their breasts can choose to have breast implants supplemented with their breast lift for improved results.
Types of Breast Lift Procedures:
Above represents the most commonly performed surgical technique for a breast lift procedure–a standard lift. During this procedure, a moderate amount of skin and tissue is removed and the nipple may or may not be repositioned. For some patients, a less invasive incision or technique may be sufficient in providing a flattering lift to the breast. Other types of breast lift include:
Doughnut: In this technique, your cosmetic surgeon will focus their incisions only around the nipple and areola. While this procedure is less invasive and usually comes with minimal scarring, because the incisions are smaller, it limits the amount of lift you can see. For patients who need only a slight lift, this may be a viable technique for their Tacoma breast lift.
Lollipop: This involves a similar incision to a standard lift, but instead of following the breast creases, it simply stops at the crease. This can provide a moderate amount of lift with a reduced risk of scarring and an overall less invasive procedure. This is the happy medium between a standard lift procedure and a doughnut technique.
During your consultation, when your plastic surgeon can get a better idea of your goals and the look of your breasts, they can help you decide which surgical technique will best suit your body and the results you want to see.
Recovering From Your Surgery
After surgery, your cosmetic surgeon will provide you with an elastic bandage to wear over your gauze dressings. In the beginning, you may experience slight swelling and bruising, but this will subside during the next few days. Within a day or two, the bandages or surgical bra will be replaced by a soft support bra. This should be worn all day for six weeks to ensure proper healing of your new breasts. As your breasts continue to heal, scars will fade over time and you will be able to see the full results of your breast lift.
Every procedure is slightly different, therefore, so is every recovery. Your cosmetic surgeon will give you full instructions for your recovery before and after surgery that are customized to you and your breast lift in Tacoma.
How Can I Help My Recovery?
The best way to help along your Tacoma breast lift recovery is to follow all of your plastic surgeon’s directions. Usually, this includes at least 3 to 5 days of downtime and halting all exercise and strenuous activities for about two weeks, but these recovery times do vary from patient to patient.
Your cosmetic surgeon will advise you to use our proprietary scar treatment that prevents visible scarring and infection. They may also prescribe pain medication or antibiotics.
Attending all of your post-surgery appointments will allow your plastic surgeon to monitor your progress. This will often allow you to get clearances to work quickly and can prevent major complications.
