Getting breast uplift surgery – is it right for me and what does it involve?

Breast augmentation is a popular procedure, and one such option is to have breast uplift surgery. This does not necessarily require breast implants, and focuses on reshaping the breast to lift it upwards. Mr Maisam Fazel, an experienced aesthetic surgeon talks about breast uplifts and what to expect from the process of having one.

How do I know if I need a breast uplift?

Lots of patients come to my clinic and ask me, ‘How do I know if I need a breast lift’? This is a really common question and the way to answer this question is to consider where the nipple should ideally be. Ideally, the nipple should be roughly halfway up the breast so half the breast tissue is below the nipple and half above.

A simple way to determine where the nipple should be, is to look where it lies in relation to the inframammary crease, which is where the crease under the breast joins on to the chest wall. If the nipple is at or below the crease, then the patient could consider an uplift. If the nipple is above the crease, no uplift is needed.

What are the scars associated with a breast uplift?

Most people thinking about a breast lift are a little bit wary of the scars and they are right to want to know more about this because in order to perform a successful breast lift, additional scars around the breast are inevitable.

There are three main types of breast lift scars.

1. Periareolar or a donut lift: the scar is around the nipple.
2. Vertical or lollipop lift: the scar shows around the nipple and down. This is the most common type of breast lift.
3. Wise pattern or anchor shaped: the scar goes around the nipple, down and underneath the crease of the breast.

Do I need implants with an uplift?

When talking about breast uplift surgery, one of the most common questions I get asked is, ‘Do I need implants’? The answer to this question depends on two things. Firstly, how much breast volume a patient has and secondly, what look or end result they are after.

If there is minimal breast volume which may have been lost as a result of either weight loss or breast feeding, then an implant is usually required. Secondly, if more upper pole fullness is required, a breast implant may also be needed. When you meet your surgeon, he will be able to explain whether an implant will help or not.

What is the recovery like after a breast uplift?

A breast uplift can be done as a day case procedure. Usually, it is done under general anaesthetic, but it can be done under sedation and in select cases under local anaesthetic. The procedure takes one and a half to two hours. All of the stitches are dissolvable and the patient goes home the same day wearing a compression bra.

It is advisable to avoid any heavy lifting for a couple of weeks. It is important that the patient is walking around from day one. The dressings come off two weeks following surgery and patients can resume their full range of activity thereafter, building up to allow full recovery by four to six weeks.

The pain associated with the breast lift is actually not as great as one might think, as primarily the surgery involves operating on skin and tissue rather than on the deeper structures or muscles.

If you would like to find out more, make an appointment with a specialist.