What is breast enlargement with uplift?
Breast augmentation / mastopexy is a procedure ideally suited to people who have lost volume from their bust. This most commonly occurs in people who have lost a considerable volume of weight or following pregnancy. It may also occur in people who have developed abnormalities in their breasts as their breasts have grown (an inherited condition of which there are many varieties. One of the most common varieties is Tuberous Breasts). The breast enlargement (by insertion of a breast implant) corrects the volume loss in the breast. The breast uplift (mastopexy) tightens the excess skin in the breast and raises the position of the nipple.
How can i tell whether i would benefit from a breast augmentation / mastopexy?
This depends on the position of your nipple compared to the fold underneath your breast. As a general rule, if your nipple lies at the level of the fold under your breast (or below this) you may require a breast uplift / enlargement procedure. This is because enlargement alone in people who have a nipple position which lies at the fold of the breast may result in large droopy breasts rather than more youthful looking breasts.
What is involved in breast augmentation with mastopexy?
You will need to have a full consultation with your surgeon regarding the type of breast implant that would be most suitable for you. You and your surgeon may decide that a shaped or round implant, placed in-front or behind your muscle, would be most appropriate. Please watch our videos on how to select the most appropriate implant for you. You will also need to discuss fully the type of breast uplift (mastopexy) that your surgeon would recommend. There are many different types of mastopexy with varying degrees of scarring. The degree of scarring depends on how much excess skin you have and is discussed in the breast uplift pages of our website. Surgery is usually performed under a general anaesthetic with a 1 night stay in hospital. During the operation, your surgeon will place an implant under your breast tissue or breast muscle to restore the volume to your skin and tighten the lower part of your breast and elevate your nipple position.
Your recovery
Most surgeons use absorbable sutures for the incisions which may need to be trimmed one week following surgery. We will encourage you to wear a support bra for up to 6 weeks following surgery to support your breasts while they are healing.
Possible side-effects
Mastopexy and Breast Augmentation are combinations of both procedures, so the side effects and recovery period are similar to a Breast Enlargement procedure regarding breast tenderness and discomfort following the operation. There is slightly more scarring involved in a Mastopexy / Breast Augmentation procedure. For more information about this, please look at our mastopexy pages on our website.
Your results
Mastopexy / breast augmentation is the most appropriate procedure for certain people. Some surgeons favour a 2-stage procedure, performing a Breast Uplift (Mastopexy) on the first operation. They then perform a subsequent Breast Enlargement. The advantage of this approach is that the incisions following the mastopexy may heal slightly better as they are not under tension. It also gives the surgeon opportunity to correct any breast abnormality at the second procedure. Many people, however, prefer to have the procedure performed in one operation. The scarring from the breast uplift will initially be red and slightly raised from the normal skin. In most people, scars will slowly settle in the months following surgery to a pale silver colour. Most scars will be well concealed within any underwear or swimwear as they are in the lower part of the breast. Following surgery, your bust will change naturally with gravity. We would not recommend that you either increase or decrease your weight considerably or become pregnant following surgery. Pregnancy and weight changes can significantly alter the volume of the bust and alter its dimensions. Potential complications of inserting a breast implant are very similar to those for a Breast Enlargement alone.