Schnheitschirurgie

Breast lift

Reasons for a breast lift

Almost all women want full, firm, youthful-looking breasts, but aging, rapid weight loss, past pregnancies and breastfeeding increasingly drain the breast tissue and lead to slackening of the connective tissue and the breast.

A so-called sagging breast is often the result. But for most women, a beautiful breast is the symbol of femininity and the progressive sagging of the breast tears at both self-confidence and psyche.
Plastic surgery can help these women with relatively simple means to improve self-esteem and to shape a beautiful breast.

The breast lift (Mastopexy) is a surgical procedure in which such a sagging breast is to be lifted and reshaped, so that the breast is given a more aesthetic appearance. The breast is not only lifted, but also shaped and, if necessary, filled with implants.

Anyone who decides on such a surgical measure should research carefully in advance which cosmetic surgeon is suitable, both professionally and personally, because a breast lift does not just require a capable, competent doctor. Since the bosom is a very intimate subject for most women, a certain basic trust in the cosmetic surgeon is essential. In most cases, several consultations with different doctors are advisable for this purpose; if you do not immediately feel comfortable in the practice, it is advisable to continue your search for the right surgeon.

It is also important that you explain to the doctor exactly what is bothering you about your bosom and what improvements you would like. He will then explain the treatment options and prospects and the possible risks of a breast lift. Your ideas should remain realistic, because expectations that are too high will lead to disappointment after the operation.

How can you tighten the breast without surgery?

There are a few tips that can help tighten the breast without a surgical breast lift.

The tightening begins with the right bra. You should always try on bras beforehand and, if necessary, even seek advice, as many women unconsciously wear the wrong bra size.

If a bra fits really well, it optimally supports the décolleté and relieves the connective tissue.

A special sports bra is just as important for training, as the breast tissue is exposed to even more stress during exercise.

Exercise also helps tone the chest. Targeted chest muscle training creates a kind of foundation for the breasts with a large chest muscle. This lifts the chest from the inside up.
There are specific exercises for firm breasts.

In addition, it is very easy to try out breast massages. Massaging the chest increases blood flow and this promotes the regeneration of connective tissue and skin.
The elasticity of the supporting tissue increases and your chest is lifted slightly. It is best to massage the underside to the nipples for five minutes twice a day.

Care is important because all layers of the skin are reached. A gentle exfoliation with sea salt and the use of a rich lotion or cream should be used regularly.

Alternating showers are also effective, as this also promotes blood circulation in the tissue. You should end the alternating shower with a cold shower.
You should avoid very hot showers, solariums and extreme sunbathing in order to protect the tissue.

You should also drink a lot and eat a balanced diet to ensure a balanced cell metabolism.
Hidden salts should be avoided and healthy foods should be consumed in abundance. Foods containing vitamin E such as almonds, soy, fish and isoflavones from fruits and vegetables are said to have a positive effect on the connective tissue.

Another alternative to effectively tightening the breast without surgery is negative pressure wave treatment. With this method, the breast tissue is lifted and tightened at the same time. An underwave treatment session lasts half an hour and usually 15 treatments are necessary, spread over six months.

Exercises for a firm chest

Targeted chest exercises are well suited to tighten the chest.
If the pectoral muscle is trained and bigger, it lifts the chest from the inside up and makes it look firmer.

An effective exercise is the “chest press” that can be done without aids.

Stand up straight with your legs hip-width apart.
Place the two palms of your hands together, with your elbows forming a line that is as horizontal as possible at chest level.
Once you have taken this basic position, the "chest press" occurs:
you press your hands together firmly, count slowly to ten and repeat the exercise again after a short break.

The good ol 'pushups are just as effective for building your chest muscles. One can start very well with “women's push-ups”, whereby the knees are placed on the floor. Dips and bench press are also particularly effective exercises.

Dumbbell training can also tighten the chest with various exercises. Particularly popular with dumbbells is the "butterfly" exercise that is performed on the back. Instead of dumbbells, you can take two water bottles and hold one of each as weight in one hand. You open your arms alternately outwards and inwards. In addition, regular swimming is a great way to get exercise and work your chest at the same time.

Breast lift through exercise

Exercise is a healthy and very effective way of preventing sagging breasts and at the same time getting sagging breast tissue back into shape by strengthening the chest muscles.

Chest exercises such as push-ups, “butterflys”, circling arms and pressing the palms of the hands are particularly effective for building up the chest muscles.

In addition to chest muscle training, swimming is a particularly effective exercise for the chest. The chest muscle is trained and that lifts the breasts. At the same time, the water gently massages the connective tissue while swimming and promotes blood circulation, which also has a positive effect on the connective tissue.

What are the costs of a breast lift?

The average cost of a surgical breast lift is between € 4,000 and € 5,800.
The price depends primarily on the method used and the complexity of the operation. In addition, the price framework is shifting in line with the so-called fee plans of doctors and clinics.

A breast lift is paid for privately by the patient and is generally not a health insurance service.

Read more about this at: Breast lift costs

When does the health insurance company take over or participate in a breast lift?

Since the desire for a breast lift often has aesthetic reasons, the operation is usually associated with psychological complaints on the part of the patient.

In principle, the breast lift is therefore not a service that is covered by health insurance.
Cosmetic reasons for breast lift surgery are clearly rejected by health insurance companies.

However, if there is a medical indication for a breast lift and your doctor recommends surgery as treatment, the health insurance company can aim to cover the costs. For this it is necessary that a medical certificate from the attending physician is submitted to the health insurance company.

Procedure of the breast lift

Already 2 weeks before the appointment of the breast lift, alcohol and nicotine should be avoided as far as possible, this reduces the risk of wound healing disorders. In addition, the use of blood-thinning medication such as aspirin should be avoided as a matter of urgency to avoid excessive bleeding during and after the operation.
There are various treatment options for performing the actual breast lift. The cosmetic surgeon will determine the ideal method during the consultation; it depends on the initial situation of the breast and personal change wishes.
Important factors in relation to the initial situation are the size of the breasts, the position and shape of the nipples and the degree of sagging of the breast.

As a rule of thumb, the more the breast needs to be raised, the more surgical incisions the cosmetic surgeon needs to make.
After the patient has arrived at the clinic on the day of the operation and has been admitted, she is usually given a sedative pill and is then brought to induce the anesthesia. In most cases, the cosmetic surgeon will discuss the rough surgical steps with her again before the anesthesia and the use of the sedative and mark her breast according to the treatment method. During this conversation, any final questions should be clarified with the doctor. After the general anesthesia has been initiated, the actual operation begins.
If the breasts have only sunk slightly and the shape and position of the nipples do not have to be changed, in most cases a satisfactory, beautiful result can be achieved by inserting an implant. This breast lift method has the advantage that very few, barely visible cuts have to be made. The disadvantage, however, is the foreign material used, which nowadays should hardly lead to problems.

A low sagging chest can also mean periareolar mastopexy With this method, an incision is made around the areola; the cosmetic surgeon can use this access to lift and tighten the breast tissue from the inside. The chest is raised and looks more youthful.
If the breasts have already sunk significantly, the above surgical measures are no longer sufficient to achieve a satisfactory result. In such cases there is the option of making a so-called anchor or T-cut. The incisions are drawn around the areola and down from there, creating the shape of an anchor or Ts. Using this procedure, the breast can be raised significantly further, but another scar is created.
In some cases, the nipples must also be made smaller and / or moved, but the nerves and blood vessels that lead to the warts are not severed. As a rule, the nipple should continue to be supplied with blood and not have any loss of sensation.

After tightening the breast and / or inserting the implants, the surgical incisions are sutured. When the patient wakes up from general anesthesia, she is in the so-called recovery room, where her vital functions, i.e. pulse, blood pressure and breathing, are monitored for a while.

Find out more now: Scar care

Should you combine a breast lift with a breast implant?

The combination of a breast lift with an implant is one of the most common breast procedures for women.
A breast lift can be useful if the breast tissue and skin are slack as a result of increasing age, weight loss or pregnancy. The breast lift can help rebuild a firm breast shape.

When it comes to the question of whether you should perform a breast lift only or a breast lift with an implant, there are two main criteria.

How big should the tightened breast be?
If the breast is to be larger after the tightening than before, the combination with an implant makes sense.
At what height should the breast base of the tightened breast be?
There are three initial situations: above (high breasted), in the middle (midbreasted) and deep (lowbreasted)

The breasts that start at the top are considered to be the most attractive, as this makes the cleavage appear fullest and the transition from the breast to the rib cage looks harmonious. A tightening alone is usually sufficient for this look.

If the breast begins more in the middle, an implant is often helpful. An implant is usually recommended for deep breasts. A detailed consultation is necessary to analyze the breast and discuss the options.

Read more about this at: Breast implants

Breast lift with autologous fat

The breast lift can be combined with an increase in volume through autologous fat.
First, fatty tissue is obtained from another region of the body, such as the thigh, stomach or bottom, by means of liposuction.
The fat is then prepared and cleaned and injected into the breast as part of the breast lift surgery.

With this method, up to 300 milliliters of own fat tissue can be injected per breast, which corresponds to an increase in size of about two cup sizes.
However, part of the injected fat tissue is broken down by the body, so that an average of about 60 to 70% of the originally injected mass remains in the breasts.

In some cases it may be necessary to do a second autologous fat transplant to achieve the desired breast volume. A big difference compared to the breast lift in combination with an implant is that with this method only the body's own tissue is used.

Read more about this at:

Breast augmentation with autologous fat
Adipose tissue necrosis

What are the risks of a breast lift?

Like other operations, a surgical breast lift involves certain risks. In general, complications only occur in individual cases.

In the consultation for the procedure, the specialist discusses possible risks. An experienced doctor can reduce possible risks with extensive pre- and post-operative care.

A breast lift is a surgical procedure that is performed under general anesthesia. Risks that are typical for anesthesia can occur, such as

Cardiovascular problems,
dizziness
and cardiac arrhythmias.

Breathing difficulties may occur during and after the operation.

Read more about this at: The risks of general anesthesia

A rather unspecific risk during the operation is the occurrence of stomach irritation up to gastric bleeding, which can result, for example, from taking certain medications after the breast lift.

Wound infection and inflammation in the area of the operated breast are possible. Side effects such as sensory disorders of the breast, bruising and swelling in the operated area are normal after the breast lift. Depending on the surgical method, different scars can arise, but nowadays particularly small incisions are made that are hardly visible.

Please also read: Breast Lift Risks

What comes after the operation?

After the operation, an elastic support bandage is applied while the patient is asleep. In some cases, compresses are placed under the bandage and / or the chest is provided with a drainage tube. This allows both blood and wound secretions to drain better. A small amount of fluid leakage around the surgical incision is still normal a few weeks after the operation and should not be a cause for concern. The support bandage is removed a few days after the operation, but a sports bra must still be worn to support and maintain the shape of the freshly operated breast (approx. 4 - 6 weeks). The sutures are usually removed 14 days after the procedure, unless the sutures are self-dissolving.
For the first month after the breast lift, the patient should avoid lifting heavy objects and exercising.

Pain through / after the operation

Mild chest pain is normal for the first few days after surgery.
The pain can usually be managed well with medication recommended by the attending physician.

As part of the operation, a drainage tube can be inserted into the chest to allow blood and wound secretion to drain off more effectively. Removing the drainage after a few days can be painful, but it helps the chest heal healthily.

How are the scars after a breast lift?

After a breast lift, the scars usually do not play a major role, as the lift scars can usually be kept much shorter than with other breast operations.

The slimmer the patient, the shorter the scars from the breast lift.
Most patients have a vertical scar below the nipple, which is barely visible after 1 to 2 years and usually disappears after several years.

There is a scar-saving alternative as part of the operation that is better than conventional scar guides. This operative technique is based on Benelli-Botti. The breast lift takes place around the nipple, so to speak, so that the incision is made around the nipple and is "hidden".

In the consultation with your surgeon you can discuss what kind of surgical method can be performed on your breast and what kind of scarring can be expected. You can decide individually with your doctor what kind of result you can achieve and what the result might look like.

pregnancy and breast feeding period

In the first time after the breast lift you have to use Pain in the area of the bosom. This pain occurs more often with movements, but is with the help of Painkillers easy to get to grips with.
In addition, many patients who decide to have a breast lift and still want to have children, worry that the operation will have a negative impact on their future Breastfeeding ability. However, a breast lift usually does not have a negative effect on the ability to breastfeed and breastfeeding is basically safe for the child even after the operation.
The only risk in terms of another pregnancy is of course that renewed sinking the breast and the associated need for further surgery.