Full boarded in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
Causing of the aging some factors such as pregnancies, breast feeding, force of gravity contribute to relax breast's tissues. Following the skin aging and the consequent loss of elasticity breast loses its shape, its texture and becomes relaxing.
The mastopexy is a surgical procedure that restores shape and position to a relaxed breast temporarily. (no surgery can permanently block the effects of gravity). When the breast is small, or have lost volume (for example after a pregnancy), mastopesxy may be associated with a breast augmentation.
The best candidate for mastopexy are patients who have realistic expectations and who have small breast. In this case, the scars may be smaller. The surgery is often required after a pregnancy, but if a patient thinks that she still will have pregnancies is preferable to postpone the surgery. The reason is not because the operation could interfere with feeding or other aspects of pregnancy, but because the result of volume and post-pregnancy atrophy could make the first intervention vane.
Breasts of any shape and size can be subjected to a breast lift, but the results in the larger ones may not last as long.
The mastopexy is not a simple operation, it provides a long procedure and as all kind of surgery can give general and specific complications associated with it. Among the generic complications: seromas, bruising, infections. Among those specifications: the reduction or a permanent loss of feeling in nipples or breasts. The mastopexy, depending on the degree of ptosis breast and the technique used, leaves permanent scarring, which are hidden in a bra or in a bikini. You sometimes could notice a non-homogeneity of the two complex aureole-nipple. A poor healing, both in duration and in quality is very common in smokers patients
It’s a good practice, starting the previous week to not take Ac. Acetilsalicico (aspirin) to prevent clotting problems, and for smokers to abstain for at least 4 weeks (two before and two after the operation).
If you have veterans from an infection or a disease it would be prudent to postpone the surgery.
If under the Day-Surgery (discharging the same day) is essential the patient is accompanied by a person who can take care of take him/her home and in case of need the first 24-48 hours.
The mastopexy is similar to breast reduction and takes from 1 hour and a half to three hours depending on the size of the breast. The techniques are varies and incisions go from simple periareolar, periareolar plus vertical up to those "T" shaped, always depending on the breast size. Drainage are used and removed a few days after the procedure.
Some patients, like those who have a breast of small size and therefore with a very small ptosis, may be subjected to surgical procedures involving scars reduced. The most commonly used among these techniques is the one that provides for the removal of excess skin and repositioning at the top of the complex aureole-nipple solely by peri-areolar scar (concentring mastopexy)
The breast implant is inserted possibly through the same access to the necessary correction ptosis.
All methods provide a bandage that is maintained for the first 48 hours.
The mastopexy is generally performed under General Anaesthesia. In selected cases, when smaller skin incisions are carried out, the operation can be performed under local anaesthesia with intravenous sedation.
After treatment the patient will wear a supported bra for 4 weeks. The first two weeks by day and night, two weeks after only during the day.
The swelling after surgery tends to disappear in 4-6 weeks. The pain is very modest, well controlled by drugs and quickly leaves the place a nuisance. The first stitches are removed on the 7th day.. It's normal to have a some loss of feeling in nipples and breast skin. This reduction of sensitivity goes to disappear spontaneously in few months. In some cases it may take up to one year or more and rarely can be definitive.
More detailed information related to each clinical case should be discussed with the surgeon during the consultation.
The return to normal activity is related to the kind of surgery, to the physical conditions in which surgery faced and to individual responsive capacity.
It's a good practice, however, wait at least one week to recover gradually and stop for at least four to making sport activities.
If the patient become pregnant there are no problems for the future breast-feed because the technique left intact the milk ducts.
We must once again recall how the scars of this operation are extensive and permanent and that it takes many months before they tend to improve and be less obvious, sometimes become thin white lines.
You still need to remember as the mastopexy do not stop the ageing of tissues, nor can counteract the laws of gravity, but if the patient's expectations are realistic, the results give great satisfaction.
The mastopexy can change the appearance and restore the lost self-confidence, but not necessarily change the look according to desires or change the way to think of people around us.