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Cures for Sagging Breasts
The Cause
Your breasts can begin to sag due to a number of reasons. These
reasons can include normal breast sagging or drooping that
accompanies aging, childbirth, genetics, or weight gain and loss.
The Procedure
The medical term is for the procedure is mastoplexy
(MAST-o-pleks-y). It literally means reshaping the breasts. It is
commonly referred to as a breast lift.
In this procedure, the surgeon cuts across the breast and around
the areola (the darker skin around the nipple). The surgeon will
remove some tissue and skin from the lower part of the breast and
move the nipple, areola, and breast tissue up.
The procedure is typically done as an outpatient, thought
sometimes as an inpatient procedure. It can be done under local
or general anesthesia. After surgery, there will be some bruising,
swelling, pain, and numbness or dryness of the breasts. The scars
will be permanent and transverse the new breasts. They will take
several months to a year to fade, and will still be visible, though
they will be covered by clothing. Many women's scars fade to a
light line, something that looks not unlike mature (over a year old)
stretch marks. Patients go back to work in about a week. There
should be no strenuous activities for one month. It costs around
$5000.
The Risks
The risks of this procedure include unusually wide or thickened
scars, or unevenly positioned nipples. There can be permanent
loss of sensation or the ability to breastfeed. As with any surgery,
there is the risk of infection and anesthesia. There is no evidence
that breast lifts (without implants) either contribute to breast cancer
or interfere the detection of breast cancer.
Implants are often combined with the lift and may increase the
duration of the results. Subsequent pregnancies and weight
changes may hasten the return of breasts to their previous
placement after a lift. The change is not permanent-normal aging
will still affect the breasts.
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