Breast sagging, softness and deformation are among the most sensitive issues for women. The breast tissue, which consists entirely of fat and milk glands without muscle in its structure, loses its old fresh and upright appearance over time due to gravity, aging, frequent weight gain and loss, childbirth, breastfeeding, improper bra use, hollowing out or excessively loose skin, sagging and aesthetically causing women to be uneasy and pushing them to search for various solutions.

WHY DO BREASTS SAG?

Breasts gradually sag over time due to the effect of gravity and the loss of elasticity of the skin due to age. Frequent weight gain and loss, childbirth and breastfeeding, and excessively large breasts cause sagging to occur at an earlier age.

CAN SAGGING BREASTS BE CORRECTED WITH NON-SURGICAL METHODS?

In a non-sagging breast, the nipple is above the inframammary fold line. In mild breast sagging, the nipple is at the level of the inframammary fold. In more severe sagging, the nipple is below this line. No massage, cream or tool can make the nipple go up.

HOW IS BREAST LIFT SURGERY DECIDED?

In breast lift surgery, the patient is examined standing up. The nipple location and the amount of mammary gland are measured. The patient’s expectations are evaluated. If there is a slight sagging and the amount of mammary gland is at an acceptable level, the breast becomes fuller and upright with the silicone breast prosthesis placed under the mammary gland. If the sagging is too much and the amount of mammary gland is sufficient, it is recovered similar to breast reduction techniques. If the sagging is too much and the amount of mammary gland is insufficient, both silicone prosthesis is placed in the breast and breast recovery is performed. In my opinion, this surgery is the most technically difficult breast surgery. The size of the prosthesis placed under the breast and the recovery rate of the breast skin are decided during the operation.

HOW IS BREAST LIFT SURGERY PERFORMED?

Breast lift surgery is performed under general anesthesia regardless of the technique. Depending on the technique to be used, the duration of breast lift surgery varies between 2-4 hours. Silicone prosthesis is placed under the breast in patients with mild sagging. You can refer to the breast augmentation surgery section for additional information about the surgical technique and features. Patients with obvious breast sagging and a sufficient mammary gland undergo procedures similar to breast reduction surgery. The difference is that the mammary gland is not reduced. For extra information about breast lift surgery, you can check the breast reduction section. If the amount of mammary gland is very insufficient, after the silicone prosthesis is placed under the breast, the excess skin is collected similar to the breast reduction technique. The mammary gland is not removed.

WHAT AWAITS US AFTER THE SURGERY?

Immediately after the surgery, ice compress treatment is started and sports bra is worn. No other dressing is used except for the thin bands on the stitches. Drains placed in the surgery are removed 24-48 hours after the surgery. You can take a shower 1 or 2 days after they are removed. Stitches are removed after 15 days. Sports bra should be worn continuously for 4 weeks. This bra reduces the patient’s perception of pain and makes her feel more confident. The breasts, which are edematous at first, gradually take shape. It takes approximately 8-10 weeks for the breast to take its final shape.

IS IT POSSIBLE TO BREASTFEED AFTER BREAST LIFT SURGERY?

The preservation of breastfeeding function depends on the technique chosen and the sagging of the breast. However, breastfeeding function is generally expected to be preserved.

CAN SAGGING OCCUR AGAIN AFTER BREAST LIFT SURGERY?

A pregnancy or major weight changes that may occur after breast lift surgery may cause the breasts to sag again. Therefore, it is better to perform lifting surgery in patients who are no longer planning children and whose basal body weight does not fluctuate.

DOES BREAST LIFT SURGERY REMOVE ALL STRETCH MARKS IN THE BREAST?

The surgery cannot eliminate stretch marks on the nipple or on the sides of the breast, because only the skin under the nipple can be removed.

ARE THE SCARS LEFT ON THE BREAST AFTER BREAST LIFT SURGERY UNCOMFORTABLE?

After breast lift surgery, a small scar of 3.5 cm remains under the breast in patients who have only breast prosthesis. Since this scar can be hidden under the breast, it is usually not disturbing. In patients who will undergo skin recovery in the breast, an I, L or T-shaped scar remains under the nipple depending on the technique chosen. The scar around the nipple is not very obvious as there is a tonal difference in the transition from the nipple to normal skin. The vertical line going down from the nipple is the best healing scar. It is usually difficult to pick out the scar one year after breast lift surgery. The line under the breast is not visible when viewed from the front and side. You can get more detailed information from my article on this subject on the home page.

WHAT ARE THE PROBLEMS THAT MAY ARISE DURING BREAST LIFT SURGERY?

• Bleeding, blood loss, hematoma (accumulation of blood in the tissue) may occur during or after breast lift surgery.
• Delayed wound healing or significant scarring (hypertrophic scarring – keloids) can occur especially in diabetics, heavy smokers or people with a family history of bad scar development. These patients can be treated with some special methods.
• Infection, inflammation, wound dehiscence, sutures may occur. These situations can be corrected with timely intervention. The opened stitch can be sutured again.
• Fat necrosis, i.e. the breakdown and melting of fat tissue, may occur after surgery. Due to this, discharge may occur from the wound edge or between the stitches. In the postoperative period, there may be pain, burning and stinging sensation in the breasts.
• In very saggy breasts, there is a risk of losing the nipple when using methods that preserve the nipple. For patients with such a risk, it is more appropriate to prefer techniques in which the nipple is applied as a patch. In patients with nipple loss, it is possible to reconstruct the nipple using methods that combine surgical methods with tattooing.