Breast lift and augmentation with prosthesis

DEFINITION

Breast lift and augmentation with prosthesis is a cosmetic surgery that seeks to improve the shape of the breast which is empty and sagging. It is an intervention that requires adapting the skin of the breast that is left over and is flaccid to a silicone implant. Therefore, the balance must be precise between what is removed, but still just enough to place an implant of the desired size. It is one of the surgeries that can give more problems in the area of cosmetic surgery if it is not planned properly and some basic principles are not followed. Therefore, choosing a plastic surgeon with experience in this procedure is the key.

INDICATIONS

Generally, it is performed in patients who have been mothers and after breastfeeding the breast remains empty and drooping. In young girls that, because of their genetics and poor quality of tissues, have small and sagging breasts. After significant weight loss, the chest goes from being large and stretching the skin to being empty and with the skin stretched, which requires reversing the fall and increasing. In older patients who after aging want to improve and rejuvenate their chest.

PROCESS

The surgery is performed under general anesthesia. It usually requires about three hours in the operating room. It may require a night of admission or be discharged the same afternoon of the surgery. To perform the surgery, the excess skin will be removed, but the gland and the fat of the breast will be kept, depending on the type of tissues of the patient. If they are thick, the silicone implant can be placed behind the mammary gland, but if they are thin, it will be behind the muscle. To remove excess skin, it is necessary to make scars on the breast, which will depend on the amount of excess skin:

  • Periareolar scar: the resulting scar is around the areola. It is done when the elevation of the areola does not require more than 2cm generally. We use a special technique, which prevents this scar from widening over time, which is usually the most common complication.
  • Vertical scar: the resulting scar is around the areola and descends from the lower edge of it to the submammary groove. It is usually indicated in moderate falls and in breasts that are not very wide.
  • Mini T scar: the resulting scar is around the areola, descends from the lower edge of it to the submammary groove, and has a horizontal component in the submammary groove. Despite being a larger scar, the areola component and the horizontal component of the sulcus remain hidden over time and with the natural fall of the breast on the scar, so it is usually a technique that gives a very good aesthetic result and more than makes up for the scar.

Drains are not always placed; it depends on the case and how the patient evolves during surgery. In case of leaving them, they are removed the next day before the patient is discharged. If the patient goes home the same day, generally no drains have been left in the operating room.

RECOVERY

After the surgery, the first cures are carried out in the clinic. We do not leave external stitches or drains, therefore, the patient can easily shower and heal at home. Recovery usually does not require more than two or three weeks, depending on the type of work that the patient performs.

To perform physical efforts, you will have to wait a month, after which you can reintroduce activities that do not include efforts with the breast or arm area. After three months, you are allowed to carry out full activity without any type of restrictions.

On the other hand, breastfeeding can be affected, depending on the type of technique chosen, although a part is always preserved in case of pregnancy.

CARE

You must use a special bra that we put on the day of surgery, as well as a chest band. You will have to wear these from four to six weeks, depending on the case. You may feel discomfort and swelling, although it gets better in the first few days. The scars will vary depending on the degree of loss you have and the size of your breast, although these are usually almost imperceptible and after months they are practically unnoticeable. We apply a protocol of care for scars in all our surgeries, which manages to minimize the visibility of scars over time.

PROFESSIONAL

This type of intervention must be performed by a plastic surgeon with experience in breast surgery. Dr. Ospina dedicates part of his surgical activity to breast reconstruction, which gives him a great understanding of the anatomy and shape of the breast. Specifically, breast lift requires the removal of excess tissue, while augmentation requires increasing tissues, therefore, completely opposite forces are applied in the same procedure. It is essential that the surgeon has experience in planning this intervention, since the success and avoiding complications lies right there.

FACILITIES

This type of intervention must be performed in a hospital that meets all health requirements and has an intensive care unit. Cosmetic surgery is a very regulated surgery with fewer complications, but in case they appear, it is essential to have the support of a good hospital. Hence, low-cost surgeries try to save money on this and are performed in small clinics where these safety conditions are not covered.

IMPLANT TYPE AND SIZE

Silicone implants can be round or anatomical. Its shape will be chosen in the consultation after discussing with the patient the type of desired result. Likewise, the size will depend on the anatomy of the patient and the size of the breast, because if we choose implants that do not adapt to the anatomy of the breast, we will generate a distortion in the tissues that, in the long term, leads to problems such as premature deterioration of the tissues, contractures, mispositioning and other series of complications.

“Our work philosophy in breast surgery is different, it is based on ethics and honesty, we like to explain to the patient all the advantages and disadvantages of the decisions made now, give her a natural and personalized result, but above all we choose a surgery based on science and modern techniques and implants, so that the result is lasting over time, avoiding future complications.”