Having a breast lift in NJ, or elsewhere in the US, is very safe and is done to improve droopy breasts, restoring them to a more youthful, higher position with a firmer look. Breast lift (mastopexy) procedures may be performed in combination with implants (breast augmentation) or breast reduction. The breast lift is commonly considered the least complex breast surgery, but that does not mean it’s simple, or risk free.
Like all types of surgery, a breast lift comes with a certain amount of risk. Your breast lift will likely bring you a more proportional silhouette and a natural, often “fitter” appearance, and may also bring a boost in self-esteem and body confidence. The key to a successful breast lift is to balance the risks discussed in this post against the possible upside, for you personally.
Gauging Your Unique Risks for a NJ Breast Lift
Whether or not you get a breast lift is a completely personal decision, because only you can judge what is worthwhile for you, as an individual. Here we will outline the risks, so that you can have a basis to make the best breast lift decision for you.
The great majority of women will never encounter complications from breast lift surgery and typically rate the breast lift experience (and result) highly. This means that, like most women undergoing the procedure, you’re likely to enjoy a pleasing breast lift result for the rest of your life. (While your breast skin and tissue will continue to age, women generally retain much of the benefit of their breast lift in future years.) Despite the potential upside, however, it’s crucial to weigh the potential risks for yourself.
The risk profile for a breast lift is slightly different for each woman, depending upon details like overall health, skin thickness and elasticity and more. To learn the incidence of risk for you specifically, consult with one or more NJ plastic surgeon specializing in breast surgery and breast reshaping.
Why Get a Breast Lift?
Here are some of the more common reasons why women choose the breast lift procedure, and the issues that breast lift surgery may correct:
- Sagging breasts due to weight loss
- Drooping breasts due to pregnancy and/or breastfeeding
- Flat-appearing breasts due to aging and/or gravity
- Stretched or large areolae
- Downward pointing nipples
- Asymmetric breasts, where one appears lower than the other and/or smaller than the other
How is A Breast Lift Performed?
A breast lift involves lifting and carefully reshaping existing breast tissue to create a higher, firmer look and feel. Your NJ breast lift surgeon will remove excess skin (and breast tissue may also be removed if a reduction is desired, or if asymmetry is being corrected). The surgeon will move the nipple to a higher spot on the breast mound and may make the areola smaller if desired.
For best results, you should wait until you’re through having children, as breast feeding can cause lifted breasts to sag once more. Future major changes in weight can also cause new sagging after a breast lift.
The method that your surgeon chooses to complete your breast lift, and achieve your goals, has an effect on your risk profile. Some methods require more or longer incisions, especially if a significant amount of breast tissue must be removed, and may result in more scarring. Your NJ plastic surgeon will place incisions so that they are not visible, even in a low cut blouse.
Breast Lift Surgical Approaches:
- Peri-Areolar breast lift surgery may be used to correct mildly sagging breasts, often accompanied by a breast implant. The “donut lift” uses a single incision around the areola.
- The “Lollipop lift” adds an incision vertically from the lower areola to the breast crease, often used for breast reshaping and correcting moderate sagging.
- The “Anchor” lift allows for extensive breast reshaping and correcting serious breast sagging. The incisions form an upside-down letter T, adding an incision along part of the breast crease.
Your breast lift surgeon in NJ will choose the surgical method that will create the best result from your breast lift–the method that will achieve the look that you and your surgeon discussed prior to your surgery. Your surgeon will not go forward if he or she feels risks associated with a breast lift would outweigh any benefit to you. You should only go forward when you are certain you understand breast lift risks. Your surgeon should be very patient with any questions you may have and should explain both the procedure, and the risks, clearly.
Breast Lift Risks: What Can Go Wrong?
When you consult with your NJ breast lift surgeon, he or she will discuss all the risks associated with your procedure. If you are not clear on the incidence of each risk, (how likely it is to occur), be sure to ask. This will help you achieve a better picture of overall risk from breast lift surgery.
- Infection: Signs to watch for include increasing pain, severe swelling, wound discharge and a fever. Your surgeon will monitor the progress of your incision healing in your follow-up appointments. You will have access to contact your surgeon if you notice any troubling symptoms.
- Hematoma: This is blood that collects under an incision, forming a bump or lump. Smaller hematomas are re-absorbed by the body, but larger pools of blood below the skin are painful and may become infected or cause tissue death if not drained or removed promptly by your surgeon.
- Permanent scars: Though typically easily hidden by a bikini top, permanent scars are part of the trade-off for a breast lift. Your surgeon will place incisions so that scars can’t be seen if you’re clothed and they may fade out to white lines over time. Well-trained NJ plastic surgeons suture the soft tissues and skin to limit pressure and stretching, which can help minimize scar formation.
- Excess scar tissue: Some individuals are genetically pre-disposed to form thick, raised scars and you may be aware of this tendency, from other experiences in your life. Discuss this with your surgeon prior to your procedure for your informed consent. Cortisone shots and/or silicone sheeting may help with scarring. Abnormal skin scarring may respond to laser treatment once scars are fully healed.
- Asymmetry: Minor asymmetry of breasts or nipples is somewhat common and occurs both in nature and after a breast lift. If asymmetry is severe, or was not sufficiently corrected with your breast lift, a breast revision may be needed.
- Skin loss: Nipple blood supply may be disrupted during the procedure, but skilled breast lift surgeons in NJ pay strict attention to maintaining or reestablishing a proper blood supply. That makes skin loss a rare complication.
- Difficulty with future breast-feeding: This is rare, since most experienced breast surgeons are skilled in preserving milk ducts and nipple-area tissue.
- Loss of sensitivity: Irritated or severed nerves may take several weeks or months to regenerate and breast sensation may be diminished. Sometimes, on the other hand, nipple and breasts become overly sensitive, temporarily. In rare cases, loss of sensation is permanent.
- General anesthesia risks: An allergic reaction may occur, but is uncommon in healthy individuals. Allergic reactions range from nausea and headache to (very rarely) hyperthermia, stroke or heart attack. Your surgeon may require a physical exam prior to your breast lift surgery.
Superior Risk Management: Choose an Experienced NJ Breast Lift Surgeon
When you decide to have a breast lift in NJ, the best way to minimize risk and help ensure a terrific outcome is to seek out a top breast surgeon–and one with many years’ experience, who is board certified by the ABPS. When you select an elite surgeon with top qualifications and one whom you personally trust, you could experience a complication almost without ever realizing that one occurred. (Your surgeon will of course keep you informed.) Here’s what you can expect with a top breast lift surgeon in NJ:
- Choosing a top plastic surgeon ensures that he or she will know how to successfully handle a surgical complication, should it arise.
- If you were to experience a complication after surgery, during recovery and healing, the best plastic surgeons are in frequent contact with patients to avert post surgery complications or catch them early. This helps ensure that the issue could make little to no difference to your overall experience, or to your final breast lift result.
How to Minimize Breast Lift Risks
For your part, choose a surgeon you trust, after research and consultation. Then simply be sure to follow your NJ breast lift surgeon’s instructions and keep two way communication open—so that you contact your surgeon with any concern you may have during the healing process, even if it’s between follow-up visits. A dedicated breast specialist, a truly expert breast surgeon, will monitor your entire healing process, so that you remain safe and your breast lift outcome is stellar.
