BREAST LIFT; FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

                                    BREAST LIFT; FAQ

                                     BREAST LIFT, FAQ

The breast is a delicate organ in the body and patients are usually concerned about certain issues bordering on a wide range of issues. Patients preparing to undergo mastopexy tend to ask these questions:

A:    WILL I SLEEP OR BE AWAKE DURING THE SURGERY?

      Any patient billed to undergo a surgical operation is usually filled with anxiety and apprehension.

      One of such area of concern is anaesthesia. The anaesthesia will be discussed. The type of anaesthesis and route to be adopted will depend on the size of the breast and the patient`s tolerability. Apprehensive patients often would not want to be aware of the procedure and so they usually opt for general anaesthesia. irrespective of the prevailing factor surrounding anaesthesia, the patient could be offered general, spinal or topical anaesthesia.

B:    HOW LONG WILL THE OPERATION TAKE?

      The length of time it will take to conclude the operation is equally of importance to the patient. Due to the nature of the operation, we ensure the patient is offered the best. The patient needs to know that her/his breast is to undergo sculpting and so appropriate time is usually invested. The operation takes between 2:30 minutes to 3:00 hrs. It must however be pointed out that this time could alter depending on the size of the patient as well as tolerability to anaesthesia. Patients on hard drugs or alcoholics are usually poorly compliant to anaesthesia.

C:    WILL THERE BE SCARS AFTER THE OPERATION?

      Scars exist following surgical operations, however, in the case of breast lift, the scars are hidden from view in the areola close to the nipple. To further ensure minimal scarring, special sutures are used to close the skin. For the breast only one vertically positioned scar exists below the breast and this scar appears as a form of breast beautification. The breast will finally take the shape of a sculpted lollypop.

D:    HOW LONG WILL IT IT TAKE FOR THE WOUND TO HEAL?

      Breast lift surgeries take between 3 to 4 weeks to heal. Towards the end of the lift a drain is inserted to drain out excess fluid that might accumulate. This takes 2 days. Within the expected period of healing, the patient won`t be able to lift things. She won`t be able to carry weights including her children till about 4 to 4 and 1/2 weeks.

E:   WHAT ABOUT COST IMPLICATIONS

     Mastopexy is a cosmetic surgery and so is fairly costly. Depending on the size of the breast, the cost could vary from N150,000 TO N600,000.