Breast Lift in Birmingham AL

Breast Lift Candidates

You may be a candidate for a breast lift if:

• You are physically healthy and maintain a stable weight.
• You do not smoke.
• You are bothered by the feeling that your breasts sag or have lost shape and volume.
• Your breasts have a flatter, elongated shape or are pendulous.
• When unsupported, your nipples fall below the breast crease.
• Your nipples and areolas point downward.
• You have stretched skin and enlarged areolas.
• One breast is lower than the other.

Breast lift surgery does not significantly change the size or round out the upper part of the breasts. If you want your breasts to look fuller, consider breast lift and breast augmentation surgery for improved upper breast fullness or cleavage. Implants can be placed at the same time or as a second procedure.

If you want smaller breasts, consider combining breast lift and breast reduction surgery.

Your Breast Lift Consultation

During your breast lift consultation, be prepared to discuss:

• Your surgical goals.
• Medical conditions, drug allergies and medical treatments.
• Current medications, vitamins, herbal supplements, alcohol, tobacco and drug use.
• Previous surgeries.
• If you have a family history of breast cancer.
• The results of any mammograms or previous biopsies.

Your breast lift surgeon may also:

• Evaluate your general health status and any pre-existing health conditions or risk factors.
• Examine your breasts and may take detailed measurements of their size and shape, skin quality and placement of your nipples and areolas.
• Take photographs for your medical records.
• Discuss your options.
• Recommend a course of treatment.
• Discuss likely outcomes of breast lift surgery and any risks or potential complications.
• Discuss the use of anesthesia during your breast lift.
• Answer any questions you have about your breast lift.

Breast Lift Risks and Safety

Each patient must decide if the benefits of a breast lift will achieve their goals, and if the risks and potential complications are acceptable. The risks of a breast lift include:

• Anesthesia risks.
• Bleeding or hematoma formation.
• Breast asymmetry.
• Breast contour and shape irregularities.
• Changes in nipple or breast sensation, which may be temporary or permanent.
• Deep vein thrombosis, cardiac and pulmonary complications.
• Fatty tissue found deep in the skin might die (fat necrosis).
• Fluid accumulation.
• Infection.
• Poor healing of incisions.
• Possibility of revisional surgery.
• Potential partial or total loss of nipple and areola.

Breast lift risks will be fully discussed prior to your consent. It's important that you address all of your concerns about risks with your plastic surgeon. You will be asked to sign consent forms to ensure that you fully understand the procedure and any breast lift risks and potential complications.

Preparing for Breast Lift Surgery

In preparing for breast lift surgery, you may be asked to:

• Get lab testing or a medical evaluation.
• Take certain medications or adjust your current medications.
• Get a baseline mammogram before surgery and another one after surgery to help detect any future changes in your breast tissue.
• Stop smoking.
• Avoid taking aspirin, anti-inflammatory drugs and herbal supplements, which can increase bleeding.

Breast lifts are performed at our accredited Outpatient Surgery Facility in Birmingham, Alabama. Be sure to arrange for someone to drive you to and from surgery and stay with you for at least the first night.

Breast Lift Procedure

Your breast lift procedure can be achieved through a variety of incision patterns and techniques. The appropriate technique for you will be determined based on:

• Breast size and shape.
• The size and position of your areolas.
• The degree of breast sagging.
• Skin quality and elasticity as well as the amount of extra skin.

Breast lift surgery is performed using intravenous sedation or general anesthesia. Your surgeon will recommend the best choice for you.

Breast Lift Incisions

The three common incision patterns for a breast lift are:

• Around the areola (donut incision).
• Around the areola and vertically down from the areola to the breast crease (lollipop incision).
• Around the areola, vertically down from the breast crease and horizontally along the breast crease (anchor incision).

Breast Lift Recovery

During your breast lift recovery, dressings or bandages will be applied to the incisions after the procedure is completed.

You will need to wear an elastic bandage or support bra to minimize swelling and support your breasts as they heal.

A small, thin tube may be temporarily placed under the skin to drain any excess blood or fluid that may collect.

Your plastic surgeon will give you specific instructions on how to care for yourself after surgery. Following these instructions is essential to the success of your breast lift. The instructions may include:

• How to care for your breasts following surgery.
• Medications to apply or take orally to aid healing and reduce the potential for infection.
• Specific concerns to look for at the surgical site or in your general health.
• When to follow-up with your plastic surgeon.

The surgical incisions should not be subjected to excessive force, motion, swelling or abrasion during the time of healing.

Breast Lift Results

The results of your breast lift surgery with Dr. William Hedden, Dr. Stephen Gunn or Dr. Joshua Halka are immediately visible. Over time, post-surgical swelling will resolve and incision lines will fade.

Satisfaction with your new image should continue to grow as you recover from surgery. The final results of your breast lift will appear over the next few months as breast shape and position continue to settle.

The results of your breast lift surgery will be long-lasting. Over time, your breasts can continue to change due to aging and gravity. You'll be able to retain your new look longer if you maintain a healthy weight and lifestyle.

Some incision lines resulting from breast lift are concealed in the natural breast contours. However, others are visible on the breast surface. Incision lines are permanent, but in most cases will fade and significantly improve over time.

Breast Lift Words to Know

• Areola: Pigmented skin surrounding the nipple.
• Breast augmentation: Also known as augmentation mammaplasty, breast enlargement by surgery.
• Breast lift: Also known as mastopexy; surgery to lift the breasts.
• Breast reduction: Also known as reduction mammaplasty, reduction of breast size by surgery.
• Excision: To remove the skin.
• General anesthesia: Drugs and/or gases used during an operation to relieve pain and alter consciousness.
• Hematoma: Blood pooling beneath the skin.
• Intravenous sedation: Sedatives administered by injection into a vein to help you relax.
• Local anesthesia: A drug injected directly to the site of an incision during an operation to relieve pain.
• Mammogram: An x-ray image of the breast.
• Mastopexy: Surgery to lift the breasts.
• Sutures: Stitches used by surgeons to hold skin and tissue together.