Breast Lift Surgery, Mastopexy in Orange County & Newport Beach

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Procedure: Improvement in breast contour and nipple areola position by transfer of the nipple areola complex to a higher more aesthetically pleasing position.

Length: 1 to 3 hours of operative time.

Anesthesia: General anesthesia.

Place of Treatment: Outpatient surgical suite or hospital operating room.

Recovery: The recovery period for breast lift surgery is 4 to 6 weeks. Most patients may return to work at 4 weeks and may resume all physical activity at 6 weeks.

Duration of Results: As long as patients do not have significant weight gain or loss and do not become pregnant, they can enjoy a lifetime of aesthetically pleasing shaped breasts.

Side Effects: Side effects are events that may be experienced by patients as a result of your surgery and should not be considered adverse events. Our patients are counseled regarding these effects and if experienced they are tolerable and often temporary in duration.

1. Numbness: Swelling after surgery usually results in loss of feeling in the breast and nipple area during the first several weeks.  This impairment should be temporary and last no longer than a few months. In some cases, the loss of feeling can last longer following inadvertent injury to sensory nerves during surgical dissection.
2. Hypertrophic scar: Hypertrophic scarring refers to the development of a thickened scar over the surgical incision line. Treatment of hypertrophic scars is available and includes: steroid injection, laser therapy, and silicone pressure therapy.
3. Breast/Nipple asymmetry: Depending on the severity of preoperative breast asymmetry, surgery may result in minimal differences in breast size and shape and/or nipple position.
4. Nursing difficulty: Common belief is that breast lift surgery can adversely affect breast feeding potential. However, breast-feeding is typically not affected because the milk glands are not separated from the nipple during surgery.

Risks: Risks are unwanted events that may occur during or following surgery. These events are recognized as “complications” but their occurrence is minimized by appropriate patient selection, proper surgical decision making, effective surgical technique, and thorough preoperative and postoperative patient management.

1. Hematoma: Hematoma refers to the accumulation of blood in the breast pocket in the early postoperative period. Hematomas provide an ideal medium for the growth of bacteria. If you have an infection elsewhere in your body, the bacteria will travel through the blood stream and find the hematoma. Additionally, hematomas can promote incision breakdown and even overlying breast skin compromise.
2. Seroma: Seroma formation refers to the accumulation of plasma fluid in surgical pockets due to disruption of lymphatic vessels. Patients may be prone to seromas if they posses a low blood count or have protein deficiency. Seromas can be a nuisance to patients requiring several aspirations in the office prior to their resolution. Additionally, these plasma filled pockets may harbor bacterial growth resulting in an infection.
3. Infection: An infection can occur following breast lift surgery. The infection may disrupt incision lines and may leave the patient with an open wound. Prolonged antibiotics are required to fight the infection and to prevent further extension of the infection. Infections are less likely in patients who don’t smoke cigarettes or in patients who quit smoking for at least 1 month prior to surgery.
4. Skin edge death/open wound: The skin incision can be disrupted if the skin edge dies or if there is local infection. This complication is best avoided by counseling patients on the terrible consequences of nicotine in cigarettes. Nicotine constricts small vessels found in the skin which are critical for the healing of the skin edge. As a result, patients are urged to quit smoking for at least 1 month prior to surgery. In addition, uncontrolled diabetes can lead to the undesired sloughing of the skin. Diabetic patients are urged to be vigilant about controlling their blood sugar levels prior to surgery. If patients develop an open wound, they will require prolonged antibiotics and local wound care with frequent dressing changes. Delays in healing will compromise the aesthetics of your surgical incision line.
5. Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) may occur in the legs immediately following surgery. DVT refers to the clotting off of leg veins which may result in compromised blood flow return from the legs; a more critical consequence may develop from this clot if it is dislodged and travels to the lungs causing a pulmonary emboli. Although rare, pulmonary emboli are the leading cause of death following surgery. DVT’s are avoided with routine use of pneumatic compression boots during surgery and encouraging patients to walk as soon as possible following surgery.