It is hoped that the following will help to answer many of the questions which patients ask me and will also provide you with a useful introduction and pre-operative guide.
Introduction
The skin of the breasts and supporting ligaments may be stretched and slack following pregnancy or fluctuations in body weight and this will lead to a drop in the breasts, associated with a fall in the level of the nipples. To a lesser extent this change will occur with age and, for this reason a brassiere does provide useful long term support.
The aim of the operation is to improve breast position and to achieve the best possible breast shape. Absolute symmetry is not found in normal breasts and this operation will not produce it.
From the foregoing it is obvious that filling out the breasts by means of a silicone implant will not rejuvenate the contour of the breast and instead a different operation will need to be performed which elevates the breast tissue and tightens the breast skin. Sometimes a double problem exists where the breasts have both dropped and shrunk in size. In such a situation a combination of breast augmentation and correction of ptosis is carried out. If an implant is required to obtain the best possible result you should also read our information on breast augmentation and also official information about breast implants available in our office.
Operation
This is quite lengthy and detailed, but not a painful operation. The nipple is left attached to the underlying breast tissue but is moved upward and the surrounding skin tightened. Many fine buried dissolving stitches help to prevent stretching of the scars, which usually fade to become nearly invisible. The average stay in hospital is one night. You will be given a return appointment for approximately 7-9 days after your surgery. At this time the dressing will be changed, and micropore applied to support the scar lines. This you will need to change every 4-5 days until your next return appointment in approximately 6 weeks.
You will be advised to wear a support bra for up to 6 weeks and to use tapes or silicone gel sheets for scar prevention.
Limited exercise and movement are permitted during the first 6 weeks, after which you can progressively resume to full activity. Careful tanning of the breasts after 6 weeks will help the scars to fade and will also prevent the scars from becoming conspicuously white. For most skin types intermittent tanning between 6 weeks to 6 months post-operatively is often recommended in obtaining the best cosmetic surgery.
After the operation you will always be visited while in hospital by myself, or otherwise a member of my team in order to ensure a personal and confidential programme of after care. I can be contacted through my secretary, or out of hours, the Hospital switchboard should the need arise.
Revision surgery may be required in a very small minority of cases in the short term. In these circumstances you will not incur any surgical fees (payment to the surgeon), but you will be responsible for the cost of the hospital, cost of the implants (if any used) and anaesthetic fee.
It is important to note that a more in detail discussion about the operation and possible complications adjusted to your specific needs takes place during consultation.
