A breast lift can raise and tighten sagging breasts. We can also perform a breast lift with implants to increase volume.
Breasts naturally change size and shape throughout the lifetime, which some women do not feel comfortable with. Changes in the breasts are subject to many different factors, from gravity and the aging process to pregnancy, breastfeeding or fluctuations in weight. Generally speaking, the greater impact these changes have on the position of the breasts, the more complex the procedure required to correct it. The decision to go ahead with the operation lies not only with the patient, but also with the doctor, who makes an assessment of the situation, what can be done about it, and whether the patient is a good candidate for surgery.
Most women’s breasts go through a great deal during their lives. The most significant changes in volume occur during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Their weight also pulls them downwards under the natural influence of gravity. The primary factor in these changes is the quality of the skin and subcutaneous tissue, while secondary factors include weight loss and the associated decrease in fatty tissue in the breasts, or excess breast tissue. That is why it is important to care for your breasts with cosmetic products, especially during difficult stages of life. If you have already begun experiencing sagging breasts, mammary gland atrophy or excess skin, the only effective method of returning your breasts to their former firmness and appearance is a breast lift.
Any woman can have a breast lift if her doctor recommends it as a suitable treatment for sagging or changing shape in the breasts and if she is healthy enough to undergo the operation. Younger women and girls who may still want to give birth and breastfeed should carefully consider whether to have this operation, as pregnancy and breastfeeding can change the shape of their breasts. Women planning to have a breast lift after giving birth should plan to do so at least six months after they stop breastfeeding. A breast lift can also be performed as part of an operation to correct significant asymmetry of the breasts.
Breast lift is a surgical procedure performed under total anesthesia. This means you will need to have an internal examination and mammogram or breast ultrasound before the operation, all of which we can do here at the clinic. We will also provide you with detailed information about the operation, recovery period and healing process. You should be completely healthy right before the operation with nothing contagious, not even a cold. Your doctor needs to be informed of all medications and food supplements you take regularly.
Your plastic surgeon will assess the degree of sagging and plan the placement and size of the incisions (and the resulting scars) accordingly. The breast lift also involves reducing excess skin and moving the areola up to return the breast’s firmness and shape. Breast lift is often combined with reduction, which can result in difficulties breastfeeding later as the mammary glands are affected. The operation takes about two hours.
After the operation the breasts are covered with an elastic bandage you will need to wear for five days. The sutures will dissolve on their own and will not need to be removed. Most patients stay at the clinic overnight and are released the next day to recover at home.
You can take a shower starting on the fourth day after the procedure, and you will need to make sure to dry the scars carefully afterwards. You should avoid physical activity for a week after the procedure. You should lie on your back and avoid bending forward and other movements that put pressure on the pectoral muscles.
You will need to wear a supportive elastic bra for about four weeks after the procedure to hold your breasts in place. After four weeks you should switch to a soft bra, and after two months you can start wearing underwire bras again.
Swelling, pressure in the area and hematomas are normal side effects of the healing process and usually subside within three weeks.
After recovering at home for a week you can start doing light (office) work, a week later you can resume light physical activity, and after four weeks you can usually resume all your usual activities (fully engaging your arms and ribcage).
You should avoid prolonged exposure to direct sunlight for at least a month after the operation and protect the scars from sunlight for three months.
Anyone who has had a breast operation should come for regular checkups and have a mammogram at our mammography department if recommended by the doctor.
Breast lift is a surgical procedure and as such carries a certain risk of complications. Mainly this means bleeding and infection at the wound site, problems in the healing process or excessive scarring. However, with careful preparation and strict adherence to the aftercare recommendations, the risk of complications can be kept to a minimum.
Like other tissues, breasts are still affected by gravity and the aging process after the operation. Over time they will naturally begin to sag and change in shape once again. This process is highly individual, however, depending on skin quality, weight stability, age, and life factors such as pregnancy or breastfeeding.
If you are unhappy with the changes in your breasts over the years, you can have the procedure done again. It is a good idea to have the procedure done again at the same clinic, just like with mammograms, where they keep images and compare the developments in breast tissue over time.
The first step involves a consultation at one of our offices in Prague, Liberec or Brno. The breast lift operation itself takes place at our clinic in Prague, which is fully equipped for this type of procedure.
