If you’re concerned about a drooping position of your breasts and sagging skin, you might be considering undergoing breast lift surgery, which is designed to lift the breasts according to your personal aesthetic preferences. If you have been thinking about having a breast lift, it’s a good idea to learn a little more about how the procedure is performed, and what to discuss with your surgeon before scheduling your consultation.

To help you out, we’ll explain what exactly a breast lift surgery is, and give you a lift of recommended questions to ask your surgeon.

What is involved in breast lift surgery

A breast lift aims to lift sagging breasts, improving their shape in the process and creating a perkier appearance.

The procedure can involve removing excess skin, reshaping underlying breast tissue, tightening sagging skin and repositioning the nipples and areola.

A guide to a positive consultation

Your breast lift surgery consultation will give you the space to talk about your desired results, discuss your health and lifestyle factors that could influence your personalised procedure plan, and learn more about the procedure.

Firstly, asking the right questions is essential to feeling like you have all of the information you need. Here are some questions that we recommend asking your surgeon:

What can I expect for my results? How soon will I see them, and how long will they last?
This will be one of the most important questions that you will need to ask your surgeon during your consultation, to make sure that your surgeon has a good understanding of your desired results, and how to achieve them. It’s also important so that you can know what to expect after your procedure, such as how long to wait until your final results are visible, and if you will need any touch-up procedures in the future to maintain your results. Since the natural ageing process can continue to cause the breasts to sag over time, you may need a revision surgery in the future, but generally results are quite long-lasting.

Where will my scarring be and how can I minimise the visibility of the scarring?
The appearance of scarring will depend on your incision pattern, which is chosen by your surgeon. After assessing your breasts, your surgeon can decide which pattern would work best and explain how it will look during your consultation so that you know what to expect after your procedure. Depending on the amount of lifting needed and how you want your results to look, you may need a Benelli pattern (a circular incision around the outside of the areola), a lollipop pattern (circular incision around the areola plus a vertical line from the areola to the breast crease), or an anchor pattern (the same as lollipop but with an extra line along the breast crease).

When it comes to minimising scarring, you may be able to take certain steps before and after your procedure, such as applying a topical scar treatment. The steps you can take can depend on your lifestyle factors and the details of your procedure, so you will benefit from discussing this during your personal consultation.

What is the difference between a breast lift and a breast augmentation?
We can tell you here that the difference between a lift and an augmentation is that an augmentation uses breast implants to improve the shape of the breasts while a lift addresses sagging breasts. However, you can benefit from asking your surgeon to explain in further detail, to make sure that you have chosen the right procedure to suit your needs. If you think you would like implants as well, we may be able to offer you a combined procedure, with a lift and an augmentation.

What is the difference between a breast lift and a breast reduction?
While a breast lift can slightly reduce the size of the breasts, it is not designed to remove the amount of excess tissue that a breast reduction can. Like with asking your surgeon about an augmentation, we recommend asking this question to ensure that you have chosen the procedure that will deliver the results you are after.

How long will my recovery take?
Your surgeon may not be able to give you a definitive answer to this one, but it’s important to ask to get a general idea of how long your body will need to heal and how long you will need to take time off work, avoid strenuous exercise and follow other post-operative instructions.

How can I best support myself during recovery?
Each patient will have their own list of recovery instructions, according to the details of their procedure and other personal factors. So, you will want to get a clear idea of what you will need to do throughout your recovery, and what you will need to avoid. Generally, supporting yourself during recovery will include proper wound care, rest, wearing a compression garment, and avoiding activities such as intense exercise, heavy lifting, smoking, and drinking for an ideal amount of time as specified by your surgeon. There are so many varying factors that can come into play that determines the details of each instruction, such as the amount of time to follow an instruction, so discussing your recovery steps during your consultation is the best way to get clear, personalised advice.

Any and all other questions you may have!
Openness and transparency is key during a breast lift surgery consultation. You want your surgeon to be able to fully understand the results that you want, your expectations and anything that you may be concerned about. No question is a silly question when it comes to asking about surgery, so ask away. Before your consultation, write down a list of questions that come to mind, so that you won’t forget.

Breast lift surgery with Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon Dr Benjamin Norris at Form & Face

To know how to achieve great results, breast lift surgery requires years of training, experience, the right qualifications and an understanding, patient-centred approach.

At Form & Face here in Sydney, fully qualified surgeon Dr Norris has over 20 years of training, and has international experience with cosmetic procedures, particularly cosmetic breast procedures. He aims to use short-scar and minimal-scar techniques, while delivering a high quality level of care to all patients, ensuring that their personal goals are understood.

If, after reading through this blog, you feel ready to book your consultation, please contact our Sydney-based clinic today.